I Spy
by Lost to the Hoping
Summary: The world as we know it isn't so black and white. With the return of a spy hidden within Akatsuki, Konoha is thrown into an uproar, and Sakura's stuck in the middle. ItaSak. Cover belongs to elanorchuah on dA.
1. The Spy in Akatsuki

**Chapter 1  
The Spy in Akatsuki**

**Originally posted: 12/15/09**

**Edited: 08/05/12**

xXx

Sakura cursed as she got yet another paper cut. With a sigh, she ignored this one and didn't bother healing it. She reached forward, gingerly pulling another one of the years-old scrolls from its place. Opening it, she glanced over the faintly yellowed parchment, dotted with age. It was just a report from some unnamed spy. There was a series of them, all signed simply 'I'.

With a sigh, she tossed it into the box of spy reports and pulled another one from it. Some sort of recipe. The next was another report from the spy 'I'. She snorted at her pun.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she let her eyes trail over the words written there.

_It's been two weeks since they contacted me. I have not seen them again. I know they are in the shadows. They watch me. They wait for me to make a mistake. I will not. Supplies are almost depleted, so I will have to go to a village to buy some. May disguise as a traveling civilian; I'm not sure. The missions don't pay well here, so I'll need to get to the cache hidden near. I'll have to take all of it; the other caches that I went to were sacked later. Only the ones I hadn't been to remain untouched._

_Lightening may require assistance against rogue shinobi soon; they've been having issues with Mist nuke nin showing up. My contact in Water ended up dead; it was not an accident. I'll have to get new contacts soon; they know too much._

_Take care of him,_

_I._

And that was it. Sakura wondered if they all ended as abruptly and grabbed one from the box.

_I was contacted by them yesterday. You know the ones. That missing nin organization that's been going about. They want me to join them. I don't know if I will. It'd be easier to carry out my mission from there, H-san. I await your permission._

_Take care of him,_

_I._

As she went to roll the scroll up again, a faint shadow lower on the paper caught her eye, and she unrolled it instead.

_Make sure he gets that onyx kunai for his birthday next week._

_Huh._ She searched the rest of the scroll, but that was the only post note. She wondered who this spy was, and who this person they cared for was as well. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine all the possible answers.

The sound of footsteps in the hall drew her attention, and Sakura quickly rolled the scroll back up, tossing it and the first one into the box. She was just reaching for another scroll when Tsunade came in. The blonde sighed and dropped heavily into her seat.

"You almost done with those?" she asked, pulling out her bottle of sake and not bothering with a cup. "They've been there for ages; since before I got here."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, almost done. Um... Shisho..."

Peering over the jug of alcohol, Tsunade quirked a brow. "Huh?"

"There are some spy reports here, from a while ago. I was just wondering if you knew who they were from...?" Sakura picked up the box of twenty or so scrolls and placed it on the Hokage's desk, letting the woman grab one and eye it curiously. A brow quirked. "So...?" Sakura prompted.

"Wonder who 'him' is..." Tsunade murmured. "You read any of these?" she asked, looking over at the other medic.

"Only a couple," Sakura admitted sheepishly. "Do you know who 'I' is?"

Tsunade's brows furrowed. "No. We've gotten a couple of reports from him since I became Hokage, but all I know is that he was one of the third's trusted spies in Akatsuki. I'm a little suspicious. I think I'll order him to meet up with me." Her lips twisted thoughtfully. "If he doesn't show, that just means he's no longer on our side."

"What if he can't get away?" Sakura asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the desk and frowned contemplatively. "Surely that doesn't mean he's no longer on our side."

"I may be pulling him out altogether," Tsunade responded, rubbing her brow. "He's been out of Konoha for years. Surely he has family here; allies, friends..." She turned to Sakura, looking indecisive. "What should I do...?"

"Whatever you think is right," the younger kunoichi replied firmly. Neither of them knew what they were getting themselves into, even as Tsunade penned the order for 'I' to return to Konoha for a meeting.

xXx

It was three weeks later that Sakura was on her way to the Hokage Tower when she sensed a strange chakra in a nearby alley. The chakra was masked, though it was leaking, and Sakura realized after a beat that the nin must be injured. That was the only way that a masked nin would allow themselves to be detected in such a manner, due to their attention being more focused on the injury than hiding. She headed toward it quickly, ready to heal, or at least bully the poor sod into going to the hospital.

The alley was empty.

Stepping into the shade provided, she glanced around and behind the few trash cans, but there was no one there. _Odd._ _I could have sworn-_

A shift in the air behind her snapped her focus back to her surroundings. She jerked around, chakra coming to her automatically lifted hand. Her eyes widened when she saw the man standing there and then lowered to the heavily bleeding wound in his side, where he pressed a gloved hand as he regarded her. For unknown reasons, he was without his ever-present Akatsuki cloak, garbed only in a mesh under shirt and standard ninja pants.

Her brows furrowed when she realized that despite having come up behind her, he was not holding a weapon, and his hands were not performing seals. However, as always, his Sharringan was activated as he stared at her. He was pointedly awaiting her next move.

Frown marring her face, she didn't lower her guard for a minute, though she had a sneaking suspicion she knew where this was headed. "Uchiha Itachi," she said, voice tight with restrained emotion. "What are you doing in Konoha?"

Face blank, he slipped all the fingers of his free hand but his thumb into one pocket in a casual _I-am-harmless_ move. "I am here to speak with the Hokage," he replied blandly, a brow quirking. "If you wish, you may escort me, however I shall need a henge first."

Returning his regard suspiciously, she tested the waters with a murmured, "Who is the person you spoke of, in your reports?"

For a moment, it didn't look like he was going to answer her. Then, lips tightening at the corners in displeasure, he deigned to give her a response. "Sasuke."

Shock forced her eyes wide, her jaw going lax in the process. She couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief. He expected _her_, of all people, to believe that? "But you... _you_..."

"Left him alive."

Silence, as Sakura straightened slowly and thought about that. As much as she hated to admit it... he was telling the truth. At least, as far as she could see it. He had left Sasuke alive. Sure, he made sure Sasuke suffered - a lot - but he'd also let him live. "Oh." There was another moment of silence between the two, as she searched for something to say, but finally she just sighed. "Fine. Do the henge, but if you're planning anything stupid, Uchiha, I will kill you."

A brow quirked, but he raised his hands and performed the henge, now appearing to be a twelve year old boy with red hair and cherry-colored eyes. "Shall we go, kunoichi?"

"My name is Haruno Sakura," she said, glancing up as a woman and her daughter passed by the alley, the woman glancing in. Hard green eyes refocused on his blank expression. "_Use_ it."

Itachi inclined his head. "Of course, Haruno-san," he agreed politely.

Mollified, she ushered him ahead of her. They made their way quickly to the Hokage tower, stepping inside the cool confines of the building. A receptionist approached them immediately. "Sakura-sama! I'm so glad you're here!" She grimaced before noticing Itachi and winking at him. He smiled childishly back, cherry eyes twinkling. "Oh... How cute..." She realized she'd gotten distracted and shook her head. "Tsunade-sama's a little annoyed right now. Shizune-sama said she wants to talk to you about it, so we're all on the look out for you. Please go; I can watch your friend."

Sakura blinked, confused. "No, that's fine. He's a new Genin; I wanted him to speak with the Hokage anyway. I'll bring him with me," she said. The receptionist bowed and waved to Itachi before scurrying off.

Sakura, thoughtful, ushered him ahead of her once again and they took the elevator. The ride up was quiet, other than the old woman in the corner, who occasionally muttered to herself; she smelled of mothballs and wet cat, so Sakura pretended not to notice her. Luckily, she got off halfway to the top. Sakura took the chance to speak up.

"Your wound; how'd you get it?" she asked, eying him warily.

He shot her a glance, child-like face eerily expressionless. "... Deidara," he answered after a moment, and watched as her eyes widened. "I wasn't caught. He just doesn't like me," he added, answering the most obvious next question.

Successfully headed off, she blinked at the odd tidbit. "Oh." The elevator dinged and they stepped off.

Instantly, Shizune was before her, looking annoyed, harried, worried and nervous all at once. "'I' is coming!" she hissed, pulling Sakura aside. "Tsunade-sama got a message from him this morning, saying he'd be here sometime today." She wrung her hands and glanced at Sakura's companion, distracted by the unusual boy in the same manner that everyone else today seemed to be. "Um... Who's that?"

Sakura, smiling, shook her head. "I'll tell you later," she replied dismissively. "Is Tsunade-sama free-?"

"SAKURA!" interrupted the tell-tale sound of her shisho's voice. She'd apparently noticed her student's chakra. "GET OVER HERE!"

Shizune winced and gave her kohai a sympathetic look. "Good luck. You want me to-"

"He's coming with. Ne, Ita-kun?" Sakura asked sweetly. At his annoyed look, she grinned. "C'mon, Ita-kun. Let's go see Tsunade shisho, ne?"

"... Hm," he answered softly, frowning. He hesitated a moment, but nodded. "Fine."

Sakura grinned, but the grin quickly vanished as she nodded at Shizune and walked forward, this time with Itachi behind her. Luckily, he didn't try anything sneaky and Uchiha-esque. _Like stabbing me in the back_, she thought uncharitably, a scowl slowly creeping its way onto her face.

Mednins and Tower personnel alike caught sight of her expression and quickly got out of her way, though she barely noticed. She actually didn't notice the way Uchiha Itachi surveyed their surroundings, 'child-like' eyes wide with wonder.

The two stepped into the Hokages office to see the blonde dashing madly around. On her desk were scattered papers, most notably a reinstatement packet on the corner. She caught sight of Sakura (and somehow missed Itachi) and scowled herself. "Sakura! I'm glad you're here."

"What do you need, shisho?" the younger kunoichi asked, her own scowl lessening with her curiosity.

"'I' is coming- oh... Who are you and why are you in my office?" she demanded, glaring at Itachi.

He glanced at Sakura before turning and shutting the door, then facing the Hokage again. He bowed formally. "Hokage-sama, I am..." He hesitated and glanced at the window, then frowned. "Perhaps we should conduct this meeting in private... Without your ANBU guards?"

The surprise on Tsunade's face was quickly replaced by suspicion as the blonde stared at the seemingly innocent genin before her. Understanding quickly followed though, and she nodded. "Itzuki. Meirin. Get lost," she said, glancing at the window.

Sakura wasn't surprised that she didn't feel them leave, because she hadn't known they were there to begin with. Certainly, the thought of Tsunade being guarded hadn't occurred to her, though she supposed it made sense.

Shisho slept a lot.

Satisfied, Itachi released the henge and both women stiffened (Sakura didn't know why she did, but somehow seeing him as he really was felt more intimidating than his act had been). Tsunade's eyes instantly traveled to the wound on his side and she motioned for Sakura to look at it. The rosette kunoichi did, ignoring Uchiha's stiff posture as she knelt down beside him, hands glowing green with chakra.

Tsunade spoke as he was healed. "'I', then?"

He inclined his head, unable to bow at the moment, and waited for her to go on. She didn't really need any prompting.

"I haven't had a report from you in two weeks," she stated, frowning. "Aside from the correspondence for your return."

He tipped his head to the side and shrugged. "It's hard to get away from Akatsuki long enough to send one," he answered blandly, a brow quirking. "As it is, I was barely able to arrange my departure for the length of time necessary to obey your wishes to meet."

The Hokage sighed and scratched her cheek idly. "Alright. I guess I can understand that. Uchiha..." She met his gaze squarely, eyes narrowed. "I want you to stay."

"You'll be attacked by Sasuke," he responded immediately, going totally stiff.

The blonde smiled then, and Sakura blinked, wondering what on Earth was going through her head. "Exactly, Uchiha. Exactly."

xXx

Two days later, it was public knowledge that Uchiha Itachi had been a spy and was now reinstated as a ninja of Konoha (though his every move was being watched for the time being). As such, everyone was talking about it, which is the situation to be found in Team Gai's regular training area.

"I can't believe it, though," Tenten muttered, flicking a kunai distractedly at Neji, who caught it and threw it back.

Lee nodded eagerly, a grin to match their captain's taking over his face. "I know! How dangerous it must have been, to be a spy in such a notorious criminal organization!" he gushed, eyes twinkling.

Gai flashed his student a thumbs up. "Only the power of YOUTH could have seen him through it!"

Predictably, Tenten and Neji ignored them. "If you think about it," Neji reasoned, deflecting a few shurriken with his new arm guards, "he was probably the only one in Konoha - at least at the time - that could have a reasonable excuse to become a criminal."

Tenten frowned at the reminder. "That's right. How do we know it was all an act? After all, he sorta did kill his entire clan, even if it was to give him a reason to flee." She spun around, letting a line of kunai fly and forcing her teammates to dodge them. "That's a pretty shallow reason."

Landing on a post, Lee hummed thoughtfully, catching a kunai almost idly as it sailed by his ear. "Yes, I do see your point." He hesitated long enough to toss the kunai back at Tenten, who ducked to avoid it and it stuck into the ground a few feet behind her. "But he left Sasuke-kun alive, too."

"Yeah," snorted the kunoichi, "alive, sure. But also emotionally scarred for life." She paused thoughtfully. "And mentally."

Neji made a face at that and lunged forward to attack Gai, who flipped backward and wisely avoided his hands. "How he could have allowed anyone, let alone Uchiha Itachi, to warp him so much, I'll never know. If Sasuke's crazy, it's his own fault."

Tenten coughed and bit back a smirk, and Gai shook his head. "Ah... Youth can be jeopardized in such a way, I'm afraid..."

Neji frowned. "Gai?"

"Yes, oh student of mine?"

"You're an idiot."

Gai gasped at the insult, but Tenten laughed and distracted him by throwing a kunai at his face.

xXx

All over Konoha, similar conversations were taking place, musing on the mental stability of Uchihas Itachi and Sasuke alike, some wondering what would happen when Sasuke eventually came looking for his brother. Some groups, however, were not so nonchalant about Uchiha Itachis return.

"He's a murderer, Sakura-chan! How can you even think about protecting him?" Naruto demanded, clenching his fists in fury. Beside him, Sai remained silent, apparently content to watch the scene unfold.

In front of him, Sakura braced her hands on her hips and scowled at the enraged jinchurriki, not that it did much to deter him. "Naruto, Uchiha-san is a ninja of Konoha, and as such, I'm not about to let you stalk into his house and kill him! Shisho-"

"Ninja of Konoha, my ass!" Naruto shouted crassly, even as the door opened behind Sakura, revealing the very topic of their argument. Naruto pointed at him angrily, baring elongated canines. "You! If you know what's good for you, you'll leave town right now. 'Cause if you don't, I'll kill you!"

"You will not!" Sakura snapped, getting in the way when the blond tried to walk past her. "Uzumaki Naruto, you are being an asshole!"

"But Sakura-chan-!"

"Don't 'but' me!"

"Sakura-chan!" he tried again, cutting her off. Something almost pleading entered his gaze, hurt drifting through depths of blue so deep Sakura may as well have been swimming in the sea. "It's his fault! Everything started with him! If he hadn't killed his damn clan, Sasuke wouldn't have had to go through so much-" He shook his head, realizing that his reasoning wouldn't be enough to convince her. "Sakura-chan, just get out of my way."

Before he could move her, Itachi spoke, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You'd attack a comrade?" he asked softly.

_Uh oh. _Sakura turned toward the near whisper behind her, then looked back at her friend. She watched as Naruto nearly exploded with his fury at the query.

"Comrade?" the blond spat, held back only by Sai's grip on his shoulder. "Where was 'comrade' when you slaughtered your family? Where was 'comrade' when you made your little brother terrified out of his mind!? Where the fuck was 'comrade' when you held Sasuke to a wall by his throat? Where the fuck was 'comrade' then, you hypocritical bitch?"

Sakura could tell, just by the intent practically oozing from every pore of Itachi's body, that the words had hit home. It kind of surprised her, but at the same time, it made sense. Sasuke was Itachi's little brother, and no matter how much blood and pain was between them, that wasn't going to change. However...

"Naruto..."

The blond, in a moment of lucidity through his anger, froze at the tone of her voice. Slowly, he looked down at her face, Sai backing up behind him. He swallowed. "Y-yeah?"

"Go home," she said carefully. "Right now."

"But-"

Sai quickly cut the other boy off by grabbing his wrist and dragging him down the road, Naruto casting irritated glances back at them. As soon as they were out of sight, Sakura heard the door click closed behind her. Apparently, Itachi was wise enough to leave before she beat on him. It was just as well. With a sigh, she traded glances with the ANBU guarding the Uchiha compound. He shrugged and she shook her head.

"I swear," she muttered, and heard Genma's familiar dry laugh. Not that she hadn't known it was him. Forcing herself to calm down, she waved and turned away. "I'm going back," she said over her shoulder. "Shift change is only in five minutes anyway."

"Alright. Take care, Sakura," he replied and faded into the scenery.

She smiled blandly and decided that she was done with work for the day. She never took a day off; maybe Shisho would let her today.

xXx

**Chapter 1 of my ItaSaku story. XD**

**Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto. I am responsible for creating most of the situation, and the story line only. Please do not take and use without my permission.**


	2. Around and Burn

**I Spy**

**Chapter 2**

**Around and Burn**

Edited: 10/16/12

xXx

Itachi twisted his body, flipping backward and tossing a kunai in his wake; satisfied when he heard the tell-tale sound of the blade sliding through cloth and into skin. Of course, this was instantly followed by an equally telling pop, and Itachi glimpsed a log thudding to the ground where his sparring partner had once stood.

Then another in the small group of five darted at him at the same time as a third attacked with ink-made lions. Itachi efficiently dispatched both, before spinning and burying his elbow in the shoulder of the last man, driving him to his knees with a grunt. The first and third appeared on either side of him, both plunging kunai into his neck, though he'd already switched himself with a clone.

The Uchiha took the chance before him, while his clone was popping out of existence, to complete his jutsu. He reached up from the ground, snagging the ankles of both his recent attackers. "Doton: Shinjuu zanshuu no jutsu*!" he growled, and pulled them beneath the surface of the earth, all the way up to their heads.

There was a short bark of laughter from the sidelines, where their female audience was watching the sparring match. One of the trio had even procured popcorn, sharing it with the women on either side of her. "Serves you right, Genma!" the brown-haired kunoichi to the blonde's left shouted, grinning.

Itachi created three kage bushin, escaping unnoticed into the tree line nearby and lying in wait. Soon enough, as his third clone vanished, he saw his opening when one of the two remaining nin (above the ground), turned to look at the pair buried up to their necks. Itachi made a clone and had it drop from a tree on the other side of the semi-circle clearing at the edge of the forest. The clone darted forward and attacked the distracted ANBU as the real Itachi quickly knocked the final man out.

He did the same to the pale-painted youth (he'd almost escaped from the ground by this point) and then the other. He distantly heard the two louder females (the black haired woman didn't seem to want to comment) boo at their comrades, but pushed all thought of it to the back of his mind.

The last standing nin saved him the trouble of having to knock him out when he spun around, realized his companions were defeated, and raised his hands in surrender, breathing hard. Itachi stopped his advance and nodded, bowing slightly. The nin hesitantly returned the gesture, looking uncertain.

He was surprised when, as he was walking away from the fighting area, he heard a voice call out to him. "Yo, Uchiha! Wait up!"

Pausing, he turned and waited for the lithe kunoichi to catch up. Rather than bother asking what she wanted, he simply lifted a brow in invitation. Grinning, she obliged. "Have you ever fought a Hyuuga?"

xXx

He clenched his hand, staring down at his fisted fingers for several long moments before allowing them to go lax. The shade of the cherry blossom tree he sat under danced a few inches away from his toes, beckoning to him, pleading with him not to remember. However, despite the fact that Uchiha Itachi wasn't the sort to be sentimental... Everyone remembers sometimes.

_"I-Itachi... nii...? What... happened?"_

Itachi reached down and plucked a blade of grass, twirling it between his fingers and leaning back against the trunk of the tree.

_"Don't come in..."_

_The door slid open with a soft **thunk** and Sasuke froze just as he stepped over the threshold, a gasp escaping him. He began to shake, uncontrollably, as his eyes wandered up, landing on what Itachi knew he saw only as a shadowed figure, standing over his dying parents._

_"Mother...! Father...!" Sasuke cried after a seconds hesitation._

_Itachi turned his head, allowing the light from the window to bathe his face, and Sasukes eyes widened further. In fear, in disbelief, he shook his head. "Nii-san!"_

The blade of grass fell from Itachis fingertips and he sighed. That had been so long ago, and when it happened, Itachi had truly believed that he'd never be back. _But look at me now..._

"Uchiha-san?" He looked up to find the black-haired girl from the earlier training session. She shifted nervously and offered him a small smile. "A-are you... o-okay?" she asked, fidgeting with her hands and looking down shyly. She stole a quick glance up at his face and looked away again.

Itachi quirked a brow at her odd behavior. "I'm fine," he murmured after a moment.

She looked instantly relieved, and Itachi thought she was the sort to be worried about pretty much anyone who wasn't publicly her enemy. "Th-that's good..." She bit her lip and glanced at his face again before averting her gaze to the safety of the road running along to their left. "A-are you... lonely? H-here?" She blushed at the strange question and shook her head as if to some thought that had crossed her mind. "N-no, I mean... You look... s-sad. L-lonely. You know." She frowned slightly and looked down at her feet, appearing rather deflated.

Slightly bemused, Itachi shook his head. "I'm fine," he repeated. He stood up, causing her to take a reflexive step back in surprise as she glanced up at his face. "You don't need to worry about me," he added before turning away.

Hinata watched him meander down the road, lost in his thoughts, and sighed. He _was_ lonely; it was so obvious. Maybe they should invite him out for ramen. She'd talk to Kiba and Shino about it.

xXx

To say that Kiba was utterly stunned when, while buying dog food with Akamaru, he ran into Uchiha Itachi would have been an understatement. Well, actually, '_almost_ ran into him' would be a better description.

Kiba had been running through the street with his best friend when the Uchiha suddenly stepped from a suspiciously dark alley way. The only reason he _didn't_ slam right into the older male was fact that Itachi reflexively took a step back into said dark and creepy place, red eyes glowing eerily from the shadows.

Akamaru yelped upon seeing those eyes and scrambled backward. Kiba managed not to make the same sound, though he did take a few wary steps away. "Er... Uchiha-san. I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It is of no consequence," Itachi interrupted coolly. When Kiba did nothing but stare at him in shocked silence, those eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you can help me in return for the trouble, then."

"Help... you?" Kiba echoed, a little surprised. "With what?"

The Uchiha walked forward, forcing dog and boy to both back up, and moved around them, continuing down the street. Realizing he hadn't been answered, Kiba hastened to follow. As soon as the younger boy was walking along-side him, Uchiha went on. "I was told that the Hokage would not be able to assist me with a medical inquiry, so I must find a medic that is off-duty today. Preferably a good one."

_Well, what do you know?_ "I was just about to join Naruto, Shino and Sakura at Ichiraku's for lunch. You can come along; Sakura's the Hokages apprentice and it's her day off anyway," he offered, figuring he may as well.

Itachi appeared to consider that for a moment before giving a very creepy smirk. "Actually, I think I will," he murmured. "I'll meet you there; I have to get money."

"Oh.. Um, okay..." Kiba watched, wide-eyed, as Itachi walked away, looking strangely amused.

xXx

Sakura was more than a little annoyed. The reason for her annoyance was Naruto. And Itachi, though that was indirectly. And she was a bit cross with Kiba, but he couldn't be really blamed for what he hadn't known.

When Uchiha Itachi had shown up to join them for lunch and ask her some medical things, Naruto had thrown a fit. The only thing keeping the boy from pouncing on the older male was the fact that Sakura threatened to beat the shit out of him if he ruined her lunch.

Not to mention, Itachi wasn't helping with his nearly nonexistent but no less amused smirk. The bastard was taunting Naruto, she knew.

"Naruto, stop glaring at Uchiha-san and eat your ramen," Sakura growled in irritation, then scowled at Itachi when he smirked at the jinchurriki. _Oooh, the nerve of that man!_

On Itachi's other side, Shino rose to his feet, Kiba quickly following suit. The bug man bowed slightly to them in apology. "We must be going," he intoned softly. "Hinata-san is awaiting us."

Sakura twisted around in her seat and smiled at him, offering a half-hearted bow in return. "Alright. Have fun then, and I'm sorry about... the trouble." She glared at Naruto, who flinched and became increasingly interested with his untouched bowl. Between bouts of glaring not-so-surreptitiously at his former best friends brother, that is. "I hope we can try again next week."

Shino smiled a bit at that. "Yes, of course, Sakura-san. Though... Just us, then, I think. So no one can ruin it."

She blushed in embarrassment. "Uh... Yeah. Probably a good idea." She bowed again and watched the two friends walk off, Kiba elbowing his best friend and talking to him in a low murmur with a grin on his face. Then she turned to see that both Naruto - looking horrified - and Itachi - looking both amused and curious - were watching her.

"The bug guy?" Naruto said, voice little more than a whisper, jaw dropping just a little bit.

Cheeks flaming, Sakura smacked him upside the head. "Yeah? So?" she demanded, crossing her arms defensively. "If you have a problem with it, Naruto, you can go screw yourself! Since when does it matter to you who I go out with, anyway?"

The blond simply gaped at her for a few minutes more (until her glare was enough to melt metal) before abruptly shaking his head and staring down at his noodles. "But Sakura-chan..." he mumbled, but she cut him off, realization dawning.

"Are you _jealous_?" she asked incredulously. When he didn't answer, she dropped her face into her hands. "Oh, good gods, my best friend's jealous of my sparring partner."

"Your what?" Naruto squeaked, blinking.

"Spar-ring part-ner," she said slowly, scowling at him. "We spar and he sometimes takes me out to lunch afterwards, that's all, Naruto."

The jinchurriki looked relieved, letting out a breath. "Oh. You had me scared there for a minute!" She hit him again. "... ow..."

Withdrawing her hand, she shook her head and turned her attention to the quiet Uchiha beside her, smiling slightly. "Anyway, Itachi-san. You said earlier that you had a question?"

He ignored Narutos scowling look, and nodded. "Aa. However, it's a private question, so I'd like to keep its nature as... secret as possible, if you don't mind."

The kunoichi nodded thoughtfully. "I understand, but... If it will lead to eventual treatment, then I'll have to know the details. Perhaps we can meet up some time and you can tell me then?"

"Hm." He looked down at his tea for a moment before nodding. "Yes. That will be suitable. When is your next day off?"

"Uh..." Sakura frowned, thinking back to the roster this morning. _When was it again...? It was..._ "Oh! Saturday, I believe. Is that fine?"

Itachi nodded, standing and placing money for the tea and untouched ramen on the counter. "Yes. I'll have the main complex set up, so come over around two in the afternoon, if you can." He glanced at the suspiciously thoughtful Naruto. "Alone," he added firmly, and narrowed his eyes when the blond turned to glare at him again.

Naruto smirked and stuck his tongue out, to the Uchihas surprise. "Tch. I don't wanna know," the blond muttered. "I can get Neji to spar with me Saturday, then." With that, the blond abruptly stood and waved to Ichiraku. "Put it all on my tab, 'cept Itachis," he said with a grin.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Ever since her friend had arranged a tab with the shop (the money taken from his pay before he got it), he'd happily used it as often as inhumanly possible.

Itachi shook his head and turned away. "See you then," he said in parting and took off.

xXx

"I met Uchiha-san today," Hinata said suddenly as she and her team walked toward their regular training grounds. At their surprised looks, she quickly elaborated. "H-he was by that tree... The one d-down the road from home..."

When she'd turned eighteen, she'd moved out of the Hyuuga compound to live in a tiny house on the outskirts of Konoha, claiming it was peaceful and since she was still protected overly much by Neji, it shouldn't be a problem. Surprisingly, her father had let her go, on the condition that she take a family member with her. She'd chosen Neji, of course, and the two shared the small, three bedroom house peacefully.

As such, whenever she got a visitor from Konoha, it was surprising, since not many people ventured that far out. Whether from fear of Hyuuga wrath or simple disinterest was debatable.

Now normally, the simple statement 'that tree' would be rather confusing in a town like Konoha. However, her teammates knew that by 'that tree', she meant 'her tree'. She'd planted it herself and had a special botanist with abilities in plant growth help it grow more quickly than natural. It was now matured to 'adulthood', and big enough that they often found her curled up with a good book in the boughs.

"Funny you should mention that," Kiba mused with a smirk. "We met him earlier at Ichirakus when he wanted to ask Sakura-san a question."

"R-really?" she asked, thoughtful. "Genma-san said that he doesn't... u-usually leave the Uchiha compound."

Shino nodded. "He doesn't," he agreed.

"Maybe it's errand day," Kiba suggested jokingly, prompting a sigh from Shino and a shake of the head from Hinata. The dog-nin pouted at their reactions. "What?"

xXx

Finally, after a week of grueling work and just as exhausting an effort on Sakuras part dealing with the Hokage, Saturday came around. The pinkette found herself standing outside the Uchiha compound, Inos words from lunch fresh in her mind.

_"He invited you over?" the blonde shrieked in glee. "Oh, Kami-sama, Sakura! You lucky dog!"_

_"It's not that big a deal, Ino," the rosette kunoichi admonished, giving a slow, exasperated shake of her head. "He wanted me to answer some medical inquiries-"_

_Ino snorted, cutting her off. "'Medical inquiries'? Is that what they're calling it now? C'mon, Sakura, you're acting like a genin."_

_Sakura blushed a bit at the insinuation. "It's not like that, Ino pig," she retorted, miffed. "It's seriously just business."_

_Still looking skeptical, the mind-jutsu specialist clucked her tongue. "Well, whatever it is, you better be on time for a babe like that, girl. Or I'll march over there and tell him something real embarrassing about you." She grinned at the mortified look Sakura took on and continued before her friend could interrupt. "At any rate, business or not, you know every Uchiha-besotted girl in the village will hate you now, right?"_

_"Only if they find out, and it's not like we're doing anything strange," Sakura defended halfheartedly._

_"You're going over to his house, and he wants you to come alone," Ino deadpanned. "Whether or not you're actually doing strenuous activities, everyone will be thinking that you did." A frank, sympathetic smile was aimed at the pink-haired girl. "No matter **what** you say in contest."_

Sakura knew it was true too, but there wasn't really anything she could do about it. At least her conscience was clean. That was something, right? Gulping, Sakura pushed the main gate open and looked inside the compound. A long street stretched out before her, ending a few blocks down at a large, brick house painted a soft shade of brown. It was obviously newly done.

"Here goes," she muttered, slowly making her way down the street. It took only seven or eight minutes to get down the deserted aisle and then she was standing before the brown house, biting her lip. The house was surrounded by a pretty Japanese garden that went all the way around it, as far as she could see, disappearing into the shadows of the large Cherry Blossom trees lined up in columns on either side of the complex.

A swing hung from the porch roof, big enough for about three people, if they sat within each other's personal space. It took her a minute to recognize the prone form splayed out in the dark shadows dancing over the swing. When she realized it was Uchiha Itachi laying there, she couldn't help but remember what Ino had said about Uchiha-besotted girls.

_Is he asleep?_ she wondered, opening the waist-high gate - it swung in on silent hinges - on the fence separating the garden from the road. She stepped inside and stopped on the first step heading up to the porch, putting her hands on her thighs in plain sight.

She cleared her throat noisily, but he didn't stir. "Uchiha-san? Are you okay?"

He turned his head to face her and opened his eyes slowly. For a minute, he just stared at her in seeming confusion before he sighed and slowly sat up. "Is it that time already?" he asked softly.

Sakura nodded. "Yes." She looked at his face, noting that it seemed slightly different than normal. It wasn't until he activated his Sharringan that she realized he had been without it at first. She swallowed and twitched nervously. "Um..."

Itachi seemed to notice her nervousness and quickly connected the dots. "I can't see well without it," he explained gently.

A part of her was stunned by his capacity to _be_ gentle, in any fashion. He had always seemed so... severe and cold to her.

"That's what I wanted to talk to a medic about," he continued, drawing her from her brief thoughts. "The mangekyo Sharringan ruins my eyes, and I need to know if there is any way to reverse the damage done."

Understanding dawned and she walked forward slowly, stopping at the end of the swing. "Mind if I take a closer look, Uchiha-san?" she asked. He shrugged, so she stepped around to his side and knelt on the floor of the porch. "Please lean down. You may close your eyes if you want; it won't hinder the process," she said, switching to what Shizune jokingly referred to as her 'medic mode'. Though, most medics had them, so she supposed it was more an acknowledgement than a joke.

"Also, I'll be probing your eyes with chakra, so please try not to resist. I know it may be instinct, but if I'm going to figure it out, I'll have to do this with your cooperation." She raised her hands and let them hover to either side of his head until he closed his eyes - hesitantly - and nodded. As soon as he was relaxed enough, she gingerly cupped the sides of his upper face and stared unseeing at some point on his forehead as she 'looked' at his eyes with her chakra.

The iryonin** almost winced when she realized what was wrong; chakra burn. The mangekyo had to be a pretty exhausting technique to use so much chakra that it had _literally_ burned his eyes. At that point in time, Sakura had no doubt how much he probably hurt every time he used chakra in them. It would damage them further every time he used his dojutsu***, like trying to run on a broken leg without proper support.

Finally, she let her hands drop into her lap and was surprised to find him watching her curiously. "It's chakra burn." He nodded and she went on. "Healing it will take time and several dozen sessions; especially with how severe it really is. I'm surprised you're not blind." She sighed and ran a hand through her wind-tousled hair. "I can do it, but it's slow work, and it'll probably feel weird. I don't know if it'll hurt or not; I haven't had experience with healing chakra burn in someone's eyes. Though it shouldn't, in any case."

Itachi was silent for a while, eyes surveying the peaceful garden. It would be nice to see again without everything seeming so... foggy. "Alright. Do you need to come back later? Or can you start now?"

Sakura blinked in surprise at the sudden answer. "Well, I can do a little bit today," she agreed hesitantly. "We should probably get comfortable, though..." She had to lean back on her heels as he swung his legs around abruptly and sprung to his feet, all in one fluid movement. "Um..."

"I will make tea," he said firmly and stepped over to the door, holding it open and pausing. "Come. Make yourself comfortable on a couch," he offered, gesturing toward the slightly sunken area where two couches and a chair sat, facing a fireplace and bookcase.

He left her alone, going down a hall to her left, and she meandered over to the bookcase. Her gaze flickered over the various novels on everything from fantasy to nonfiction. She picked up one on chakra manipulation and thumbed through the dog-eared, worn pages. Near the back, tucked between two pages, was a flattened white lotus flower, its petals spread out over the page and nearly reaching the edge.

"It was my mothers, once," came the soft voice of her companion as he seemingly materialized right behind her.

She startled, almost reaching for a kunai, but somehow managed to refrain. He quirked a brow at her reaction though didn't comment. Instead, he motioned toward the low table in between the couches, where he'd placed a small tarnished tray holding the tea. She saw milk, sugar and chocolate - oddly enough - amidst the tea kettle and cups.

Sakura was relieved to see regular, Japanese tea cups rather than the China ones Sasuke had always preferred. Maybe it was the part of her that didn't want to remember her past love, especially in the presence of the one man he'd hated most. As if doing so would corrupt his memory...

She shook the thoughts away and sat. "Thanks."

Itachi knelt on the other side of the tea table and began pouring them both tea. The task done, he glanced up. "Would you like anything in it?" he asked, that brow lifting again.

She smiled a little at the thought that he was being rather old-school and traditional; the perfect host, her mother would say. He really was so very different from his little brother... "Yes," she replied. "Just some milk, please."

He nodded and obliged. Silence reigned between them for a while as they sipped their tea. Eventually they were both comfortable, and the kunoichi felt it was time to proceed. She set down her tea and turned in her seat to face the Uchiha, only to find him already studying her. Under his scrutiny, she once again recalled Inos earlier words. Frowning, she switched to medic mode mostly to avoid contemplating the admittedly attractive man before her. _Stupid Ino Pig and her damn ideas._

"Shall we get started?" she asked, then added.

He inclined his head and set his own cup down before crossing his legs on the couch in front of him. "Very well," he agreed pleasantly enough, settling back into the cushions behind him.

Sakura nodded and scooted a bit closer for a better reach, telling herself that she definitely wasn't thinking of dumb Ino and lunch. "If I run too low on chakra and don't pull away, get my attention and make me stop please."

Her only answer was a nearly imperceptible nod as he closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. Well, as much as any ninja could in the presence of another. Slowly, she reached up and cupped his face once more, eyes sliding closed as the soothing warmth of her chakra brushed his ever-present pain away for the moment.

xXx

**Yay! End of chapter! Woot! *feels sorry for Itachi* R&R! XD**

***Earth: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique**

****Medical ninja (med-nin)**

*****Eye technique(s)**


	3. Of Roommates and Biscuits

**I Spy  
Chapter 3  
Of Roommates and Biscuits**

xXx

"So?" Ino urged the next day at lunch once they were seated at a table in their usual cafe. "How'd it go?"

Pausing with her salad-covered fork halfway to her mouth, Sakura raised a brow at her friend. "How'd what go?"

Throwing her hands up in exasperation, Ino was quick to elaborate. "The thing! With Uchiha Itachi? You know, 'hunk of the year'?"

Sakura grimaced slightly. "Gods, I don't even remember most of the damn night," she muttered dejectedly. "And I didn't get much sleep. Do you know how seriously formal that man is? It's enough to drive anyone _crazy_!" she griped, gesturing with her fork and oblivious to the fact that Ino was watching her with wide eyes. "I mean, he _insisted_ on doing everything traditionally. He opened doors for me, made sure I was comfortable... He was the perfect gentleman! But behind it all, he's still an arrogant jerk."

She pointed her fork at her friend before popping the bite into her mouth, talking around it and heedless of manners. "Sheesh, he may have denied it, but I know he groped me at least twice. The jackass. _Naruto's_ a better man than him!" With that, she scowled and chomped on a crouton.

By this point, though, Ino was gaping at her, shocked. "S-Sakura... Did you really... you know...?"

Blinking, the rosette kunoichi had to think before she realized what her words implied. "What? What? No!" she squeaked. "No, I just started... Well, he wanted me to help with an injury." She shook her head. "And while I was doing that, I guess he got a little too comfortable... and maybe he fell asleep, but I don't buy it. His arm was around my hips when I came to for a break." She scowled again.

Ino shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sakura, honey... You are the worst excuse for a woman that I've ever known." When Sakura made an annoyed sound, unable to talk through her food, Ino continued. "Seriously. If you thought he was checking you out like that... How did you _not_ jump his bones?"

"Seriously," another voice added and they both blinked, so absorbed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed Temari and Shikamaru creep up on them. Temari grinned at them. "So. Who are you guys talking about?"

"Uchiha Itachi," Ino put in before her friend could answer. "She got invited over to his house - alone - and didn't totally screw him senseless and make him fall in love."

Shikamaru frowned slightly. "Normally, I'd say something along the lines of not being able to love her, but I think I'd get my butt handed to me and that'd be troublesome," he said thoughtfully, then added, "Though I'd have an excuse to sleep..."

Temari glared at him, and that coupled with both Sakura's and Ino's glares efficiently shut him up. The wind nin smiled slightly at Ino. "I did hear that he was attractive, though I've never actually met him... But..." She bit her lip and glanced around as if afraid someone unwanted would overhear. "Aren't you afraid that he's like an Akatsuki spy now or something? There's been a lot of doubt in Suna about him being here and not in a cage, and Gaara's been forced to deal with that, along with the Suna council giving him hype. They've been talking about forcing him to give up the treaty with Konoha because they're afraid he'll somehow endanger their village..."

A little irritated - that was exactly the concerns of the council here in Konoha, as she'd found out at the meeting with them last week - Sakura shook her head and curled her fingers into a fist. "Okay, Temari-san, I'll admit that Uchiha-san's a bit odd - unorthodox even, at a stretch - but he's definitely a Konoha nin, and as such, when he places his loyalties, he means it."

Temari shook her head and sat down beside Ino. "But you're wrong. Wasn't he loyal to Akatsuki just a month ago?"

The pink haired nin opened her mouth and closed it, unable to contest Temari's point. It was true. He'd told Akatsuki that he was loyal to them, when he'd been a spy for Konoha all along. But... He'd also obeyed when the Hokage told him to remain home. If he'd really been a bad guy... She shook her head. "No. I believe he's one of us," she said firmly, utterly convinced.

The foreign nin shook her head. "Okay. But promise you'll be careful, okay, Sakura? Don't do anything unnecessary until you're absolutely, one hundred percent sure that he won't go back to Akatsuki in the end. Alright?" She smiled when Sakura gave a nod. "Okay. So. What's for lunch?"

xXx

Tsunade was in another damn meeting. The council members were adamant that she lock Uchiha Itachi away, Danzo more-so than most of the others. And now, according to the missive Temari had brought with her, they had the Suna council's full support and agreement; she and Gaara had agreed that Uchiha was an asset, though they knew he was still dangerous.

Normally, Tsunade only saw the heads of the council, but with her continuous refusals to lock him away, she was now facing the entire force. Sakura wasn't with her and Shizune for once, either, for which the blonde was glad. The rosette kunoichi would be hitting things by now. Probably.

For now, Sakura was with the very topic of their disagreement, tending to the Uchiha's eyes. Of course, only Sakura and Tsunade knew exactly what she was doing, but still. When her student had come to Tsunade - belatedly - with the vague concern about healing his eyes, the Hokage had instantly approved. Mostly to spite the stupid councils and their ridiculous ideas, but there was the thought that if Itachi was at full health and strong as possible, he'd be something to wish for, even more than he already was.

"-ade-sama? Tsunade-sama, are you even paying attention to us?" a council member demanded thinly.

She gave him a wry smile. "Why should I?" she asked. "No matter what you say on the subject, my decision is final. Uchiha Itachi will be watched carefully, but he is a ninja of this village." Her smile vanished and annoyance crossed her face. "And as far as I'm concerned, that means he deserves and gets my protection."

The woman to the right of the man who'd just spoken sighed. "If we believe that a decision of yours would eventually endanger the village, we have the right to usurp you, and I believe that is just the case, Tsunade-sama."

The annoyance quickly changed to fury and Tsunade barely kept herself from hitting something. "How would you _know_ if he's a traitor if you go and lock him up! Observing his everyday activities is enough, goddammit! All you will do by locking him up is ensuring that he's an enemy, and I'm quite sure you don't want that."

The woman's features tightened. "I have no intention of just locking him up for observation, Tsunade-sama. He will stay in jail and rot there."

The only thing keeping the Hokage from doing something bad was Shizune's hand on the woman's shoulder, pressing her firmly down into her chair. The dark-haired woman smiled at the council, and they fell utterly silent. "Please, give us a week. We will double security on him, and if you are not convinced of his allegiance in one week..." She trailed off, shrugging.

"Very well," the woman agreed after a moment's thought. "I will permit you a week to convince us of his loyalty to Konoha."

"Get the hell out," Tsunade growled, shooting to her feet and stomping out the door. Shizune was quick to keep up, and the Hokage wasn't sure if she felt like crying or screaming, so she chose to be grateful to her assistant instead. Really, Tsunade wouldn't have personally been able to come up with that on the spot; she would have been too furious to do it. "Thanks," she mumbled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shizune's familiar smile.

"You're welcome."

xXx

Somehow, and Itachi didn't want to even ask the reason, the Hokage decided to give him a roommate. Of course, the house was definitely big enough for more than one person, but still... At any rate, he was grateful that she at least said he could pick who. Out of about six candidates.

All of them somehow managed to be either younger than him or older and perverted. Naturally, he'd dismissed the female of the group when the six showed up - the blond walked away, pouting - as well as the one dressed in green as soon as he opened his mouth and said something about Itachi's youthfulness. The boy slouched in disappointment and meandered away, a couple of people smothering snickers in his wake. Itachi stared at the rest, trying to remember their names.

That was one Hatake Kakashi... He'd met him and didn't really like him, but they'd see. Itachi didn't _actually __**like**_ many people anyway. Hm... Nara... Nara? Huh. Okay... That one was... "Why are you even here?" he asked, a little confused that the smirking boy had even volunteered.

"I wanna make your life hell," Naruto replied honestly.

Itachi sighed and resisted the urge to pinch his nose. This entire situation was completely ridiculous and the Uchiha found himself wishing that he didn't have to deal with it. "Who are you?" he asked, moving on to the last of the group. The boy smiled. Itachi felt like twitching at the fakeness of the expression.

"I am Sai."

That didn't really help... Mustering what was left of his surely depleted pride, Itachi turned away. "Nara, move in by tonight," he said and disappeared into the house. As soon as he was gone, silence fell. Then...

"Teme."

"Now, now, Naruto," the blond's former sensei chided lightly, a little amused. Of course, being the private person Itachi was, Kakashi had almost bet on him picking either Shikamaru or Sai. The Jonin felt a little sorry for the poor boy, given that security was being enforced so much that he needed to take on a house-mate. At least the Nara genius shouldn't give him _too_ much trouble.

A sigh was heard. "How troublesome."

Hopefully it wouldn't be the other way around.

xXx

Shikamaru stepped up onto the porch of his new place of residence later that afternoon only to find the Uchiha repainting a desk with a soft blue color. The older male paused and glanced at him over his shoulder, then set the kunai he'd picked up down again. He wiped his paint-stained hands off on a towel beside him and stood, dusting off his knees. He bowed in greeting.

"Welcome," he murmured, quirking a brow when he saw how little the boy had brought. "Follow me." He lead the boy through the house, down a hall to the left of the door and into another section that had a dining room and kitchen. He walked through these - both were spotless and dust free - and pulled open a door at the end of the kitchen. Beyond this was an equally clean hall, darkened without lights or windows but many empty picture frames.

Shikamaru wondered if the man's family had once been in those frames. Was it painful? Maybe he regretted what he'd done. The Nara found himself thinking that maybe he was just a little sad for the quiet man. Here he was, living in the very house where he himself killed all of his living family, with the exception of Sasuke, whom he'd driven to the brink and beyond of insanity. While he didn't think the man would be uncomfortable living in their final living place, it still seemed out of place.

After all, Sasuke had moved out of the Uchiha compound all together after he'd been released from the hospital.

Finally, the two stopped at a door at the very end of the hall and Itachi slid it open. "If you'd be more comfortable with a swinging door, I can provide one," he murmured, stepping aside to let Shikamaru pass.

"Nah," the younger nin replied with a shake of his head. "A sliding door is fine with me; I don't mind at all."

"Good." He gestured awkwardly to the door nearby, just to the left of Shikamaru's new room. "That's the bathroom. There is another one on the other side of the house. You saw the kitchen and dining room and the living room is just off the entrance to the house. You are welcome to use anything you need, as long as you replace anything you use up or... break," he frowned slightly at the thought, and Shikamaru decided to be extra careful with breakables. "Usually, I'm working on something within the compound, but if you can't find me... I'm probably around the village somewhere. ... Any questions?"

The Nara shook his head. "No. That just about covers it," he replied. "And... Um, if you can't find me... I'm probably hiding from Ino somewhere." Despite the seriousness with which this was announced, Itachi smirked slightly.

"Feel free to hide from her here; I don't like trespassers anyway."

Somehow, Shikamaru got the feeling that they'd probably get along just fine, despite Choji's worries.

xXx

"Oh, _Gods_ I can't stand him!"

At the sound of the rather familiar voice, Sakura glanced up from her paperwork as Ino closed the door behind her. "Can't stand who? Is Shikamaru being a jerk again?"

"Not only that," the blond ranted, "But he's being a jerk with Uchiha! It's like a jerk fest!"

Not sure if she should be really amused or really worried, Sakura settled for quirking a brow and setting her pen down. "How about you start at the beginning, Ino," she suggested.

Ino huffed and plopped down into the chair on the other side of Sakura's desk. "It all started this morning, when I went over to his new place at Uchiha's to get him to come training with me and Tenten..."

_Ino was stopped, just as she was about to enter the compound, by a masked ANBU. "I'm sorry, Ino," he said, and she recognized Genma's voice. "No one outside of security and the place's occupants are aloud inside right now."_

_She blinked, a little concerned. "What? Did something happen to Shika?"_

_He laughed softly. "No, no. Nothing's wrong. Uchiha-san just said that no one is to enter the compound today. Especially... Er..." He shifted backwards, which confused her, and hesitantly went on. "'Troublesome women'."_

_Her first thought at that was that if Uchiha really said that, he was either quoting Shikamaru's condition or Shika was rubbing off on him. Her second thought was __**huh, troublesome women? Why would he...**_ _Her eyes narrowed. "Troublesome, huh? Are you implying that I'm a troublesome woman?" she demanded, starting to get angry._

_Genma visibly gulped. "No! Just that all women are- What I mean to say is- It was actually Shikamaru who- Through Uchiha- I- Ack!" He dove to the side when she swung at him. Then he pointed at Uchiha, who'd appeared and was watching the scene in amusement. "He started it!" he cried childishly before disappearing._

_Ino rounded on the older nin, only for him to lift a brow in silent challenge. However, Ino wasn't stupid. "What the hell? We barely know each other and I'm a troublesome woman?" she demanded irritably._

_Itachi didn't reply, only continued to look slightly amused as she fumed in front of his property. "Gah!" she cried and threw up her hands. She tossed the basket with rolls her mother had made onto the curb. "Here; it's from my mom. Geez."_

_"I don't eat the food others cook," he replied quietly._

_Ino's face started to get red. "ARE YOU SAYING MY MOTHER WOULD TRY TO POISON YOU? SHE ISN'T EVEN A NIN!" she screamed._

_Itachi didn't reply._

"... and after that, I left and came here," the blonde finished.

Sakura sighed, a little annoyed herself. Ino's mother's rolls were to die for. "Did you at least get the basket?" she wondered aloud.

Ino blushed at that. "No. I said he could choke on them and stormed off..."

"... oh..."

"Yeah."

It was quiet for a long moment, the aura of the room awkward. Finally, however, Sakura sighed. "So... What do you expect _me_ to do about it?"

"You're his medic!" Ino retorted, and rolled her eyes when Sakura instantly protested. "Oh, please, you go over to his house twice a week for 'routine check-ups'. I know you're healing some wound on him that's taking a while to heal. Anyway." She shook her head, hair tossing around her shoulders. "Just do something. I don't care what." She got to her feet and smiled. "I have to go. Tenten and I were supposed to meet for training half an hour ago... Bye!" The blond waved and jogged out of the room, leaving Sakura alone with a lot to think about.

xXx

When Sakura got there, Shikamaru and Itachi were seated at the kitchen table - silently - while drinking tea and eating the rolls Ino had left behind. Uchiha looked up at her and quirked a brow. Shikamaru frowned, his mouth full of bread.

"How did you get in?" the red-eyed man asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Genma's afraid of her," Shikamaru replied. The two looked at each other and after a moment, the lazy nin shrugged. "I dunno."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the silent communication and stole a roll from the basket - both men shot her irritated looks - before sitting at the end of the table. She took her time eating the roll, letting them stew - Shikamaru looked decidedly nervous when she didn't start in on them immediately - while she waited for just the right time. As she swallowed the last bite, Uchiha opened his mouth and she spoke (he hated to be interrupted, but she didn't care at this point).

"So. Ino sent me over, complaining about how you guys are jerking it up together." She resisted the urge to smirk when Shikamaru choked on his food. Itachi only narrowed his eyes. "... in a jerk fest and stuff," she added a beat later, and Itachi relaxed slightly, the tightening of his mouth easing. "As such, I figured I could come over, find out what was up, and... er..." She glanced at Itachi's eyes pointedly, and he shrugged, indicating that he didn't care if his new roommate knew.

"And what?" Shikamaru asked suspiciously, scooting away from her and her reach.

"And tend to Uchiha-san's eyes," she replied.

He blinked and glanced at Itachi before looking back at Sakura. "His eyes? Is that what you've been up to every couple of days?"

"Yep." She beamed. "He asked me to look at them; they've been burned with chakra, so I'm healing them."

The lazy nin winced and shot Itachi a sympathetic look. "That _has_ to hurt," he said.

Itachi shrugged again, looking down at the roll he'd been messing with since she came in. "It matters not. They'll be healed eventually." He glanced at the kunoichi for conformation and she nodded.

"Mostly, anyway. They might be scarred," she said with an apologetic smile. "But at least they'll work, and they shouldn't bother you when all's said and done."

Shikamaru took a bite of another roll, and was glared at when Sakura reached into the basket only to find that there were none left. "What?" he asked innocently.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever. Uchiha-san, let me look at your eyes, while I'm here."

He inclined his head and turned his chair. She dragged her own over to sit before him and reached up as he closed his eyes. Shikamaru watched in shock as he actually allowed the medic nin to touch him. You know. With_out_ watching her like a hawk.

Perhaps... perhaps there was more than met the eye when dealing with the ruthless Sharringan wielder. More than anyone had ever heard.

xXx

Fingers curled tightly into a fist, locking. The man stood in shadow, the terrified form of a messenger nin cowering before him. Teeth gritted tightly and eyes flashed with rage. A growl started low in the man's chest; of fury, of sadness... Of hurt.

The pain in his hand, caused by his nails digging into the flesh of his palm, was nothing compared to the pressure in his aching chest. He could barely breathe, the feeling of betrayal rising up and rearing it's ugly head within him. They were _his_ allies! _His_ enemies! How dare that worthless rodent try to take them away from him! How _dare_ he play pretty with them! Just the thought was enough to make the man want to kill something; this did not bode well for the messenger nin.

The man's head snapped back of his own volition and he let out an angry, anguished howl that stirred birds from their nests and sent smaller animals scurrying for their burrows. Red eyes gleamed, teeth glittered and the man in shadow never even noticed the hot blood dripping down from his painful hand.

xXx

"Huh?" _Oh, that was bright. Way to go, Sakura!_ the pink-haired kunoichi thought irritably.

Before her, the dark-haired Chunin glared some more. "I _said_," she snarled, "Stay away from Itachi-kun!"

As you can imagine, Sakura was just a bit confused, but at the same time, she wasn't really. She'd known this would happen eventually. She was just annoyed at the poor timing. _Well, there goes lunch with Sai. Oh, well. I'll make it up to him tomorrow with some nature guide or something._ She sighed. "Look. I don't know _how_ I'm hurting your chances with Uchiha-san," she said, mentally adding _Trust me, you wouldn't have a chance in hell, anyway_. "But I assure you; our relationship is _purely_ professional-"

The younger girl snorted. "As if! I've seen the way you look at him, Haruno!"

Ooh... That was going too far. "The way I _look_ at him?" she demanded, and no, her voice did _not_ just rise several gazillion octaves. Nope. Not at all. "What the hell! I don't look at him like anything! Uchiha-san is Uchiha-san! He's a comrade and that's _it_!" She stepped closer to the suddenly nervous girl, shaking her finger in her face. "Unlike _you_, I take my job as a ninja _seriously_! I'm tired of broody clan men that are dangerous and arrogant, so in case you haven't gotten it through your thick fucking skull yet, Uchiha-san isn't even on the _fucking __**spectrum**_!"

As she finished her rant, silence descended. People were staring, the poor Chunin was slack-jawed, the birds had stilled in their trees and Sakura was panting from the force of her tantrum.

Behind her, someone sighed. "Haruno-san," he said softly, and that was all it took for her to freeze on the spot.

Oh shit. Slowly, she turned and looked up into annoyed jet eyes - _when had he stopped using the Sharringan to see?_ she wondered - and swallowed. "Oh. Um... H-hello, Uchiha-san... Er... Hi..." she murmured, unable to come up with anything even vaguely more intelligent to say.

He sighed again. Shaking his head, he gestured down the road they were on. "I was just heading home. Would you like to accompany me?" It was clearly not a request, so she nodded and let him lead her away. Soon, the midday Friday crowds of people shopping for the weekend thinned as they walked farther away from the main market square. In the silence of Uchiha's company, Sakura was able to think back on the not-so-kind things she'd screamed. Admittedly, she wouldn't be surprised if Itachi was angry with her. What she'd said and implied wasn't exactly very nice.

_Geez. What is wrong with me lately?_ she asked herself irritably. Granted, with Tsunade's temper peaking and her patience with the council stretched thin, Sakura was forced to take on a lot more work at the hospital. She'd all but been given the title of administrator, and she hadn't seen Naruto or Sai much at all recently, unless they got banged up on a mission and were admitted to the hospital. Really, Sakura was starting to get too stressed herself.

Stupid sake-drinking Hokage and missing clan heads that happened to be spies for Konoha rather than highly dangerous criminals.

Uchiha led her all the way to his house and let her in - Shikamaru was nowhere in sight - before bringing her to the kitchen slash dining room and motioning for her to sit at the table while he prepared tea. He'd noticed how quiet she had been on the way here and decided, when she'd tripped over her own feet and barely noticed it after he steadied her, that he should probably speak to the Hokage about giving her some time off.

She looked like she really needed it.

"I'm sorry," she announced suddenly.

Itachi paused, glancing at her over his shoulder. She had her head bowed and was fiddling with the salt shaker. He frowned, trying to think of something to do to get her to relax... "It's fine," he replied and turned away. Really, the thing that bothered him most was the fact that he was actually bothered at all. He'd seen that dark-haired girl around and knew she watched him - most women did, after all, and no that wasn't arrogance; it was fact - but he hadn't thought she'd have the guts to confront Haruno Sakura.

Few did.

"Not really," she muttered dejectedly, as if disappointed that he'd forgiven her. "It was pretty awful of me, actually. I mean, I know from experience that you and... Sasuke," it looked as if she had trouble spitting out the name, "Are so different that it's ridiculous, but... I can't help comparing you. It's like a bad habit that refuses to go away."

He could understand, at least, if not sympathize. So with a shrug, he place her tea before her and sat down with his own. "It doesn't matter."

Sakura frowned. "It does to me!" she retorted, the disappointment in her eyes expanding to the set of her mouth.

Itachi met her gaze evenly and sipped his tea. "Why?"

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him incredulously. "Why?" she echoed faintly. He nodded, lifting a brow to urge her on; he was truly curious as to the answer. "Because... Because you're people! And... And you're my friends, and..." She trailed off at the look on his face as he felt shock at the title. Not many professed to be his friend - or at least, not many that he didn't mind - so to hear the words from her lips only served to firm his determination to do something - anything - to get her to relax, if not cheer up.

Fortunately (for him), she misinterpreted his expression. "Yes, Uchiha-san," she said, looking down at her hands in embarrassment - heh, that was amusing. "You're my friend. You haven't given me a reason not to be friends- not really. So I figure, why not?"

The man across from her was quiet for a moment - it was just like a Konoha nin to find friendship with an unlikely person for completely unintelligible reasons, but he supposed he could see her as a friend... Sorta - and then, "And Sasuke?"

She flinched. Sasuke. Her first love and teammate. Naruto's best friend. Forever a part of Team 7, even if he'd left them and betrayed his village. Smiling sadly - he blinked at the rather dramatic gesture - she nodded. "Yeah. Him too. One of my two best friends in the world." But her eyes said more, and he was tempted to call her on it. He didn't.

And really, for her, that was all there was to it. All that was left, she told herself. She couldn't love him anymore.

Not when he'd betrayed her worst of all.

xXx

**And that's it for this chapter. The reason it's long is because I wrote like half of it on paper and the rest on the computer. Which was annoying. *sighs* R&R. Don't just fave/alert! XD**


	4. The Past Interrupted

**I Spy  
Chapter 4  
The Past Interrupted**

xXx

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear, and she could feel the heat of his body against her back; so close, yet not quite touching. She thought perhaps it was wrong of her to want the contact he was so teasingly denying her.

The tears pooled in her eyes spilled over again. She blinked through the blur. A sharp pain in her neck, her eyes widened and the night started to fade away into shades of grey. _No_, she thought as her eyelids lowered and her knees buckled. _No_. She slumped forward, but never hit the ground, something in her knowing he would catch her; he did. _No, Sakura. You're not this weak. No... No. No!_ His arm was around her waist as she faded into darkness.

That touch...

"No!" she screamed, sitting up a bit. As she did so, her hand came up from her thigh where her kunai holster was and she pressed the blade against the throat of the blurred figure leaning over her.

For a moment, an image was cast over the person there, and she saw spiky dark hair and equally inky eyes. She blinked, tears spilling down her cheeks, and her vision cleared just as both of her hands were restrained and pressed against the couch cushions to either side of her. Reactively, her legs tensed, but he sat on her lap, effectively keeping her from lashing out as he tangled their legs together and leaned his upper body against her chest.

Wide-eyed, she stared up at him, still in a state of confusion from sleep. Wait. What was...? Who was...? "Itachi," she breathed, recognition dawning. Everything clicked and she wasn't a stupid, love-struck twelve year old anymore. She was a eighteen year old kunoichi of Konoha and the Hokaage's apprentice. Sasuke was gone and Itachi was a comrade. She'd been having a nightmare, that was all. Just... "A nightmare..."

Itachi nodded slowly, warily, his body still tense as it rested against her own. "You remember?" he asked softly.

She swallowed, forcing her muscles to relax. "Yeah. I... I'm sorry. That I attacked you..."

"It was a pretty bad nightmare, then," he replied carefully, a hint of something entering his eyes.

She laughed hoarsely, numbly realizing that he'd just made a joke. "Y-yeah. Pretty horrible." The worst day of her life, not that she'd admit it. "But... I'm awake now, and that's good..."

A brow quirked at her awkward statement. "Yes. Nightmares are bad," he reiterated dryly, smirking down at her.

For some reason, she was finding it very hard to breathe. It might have had something to do with his weight pressing her back into the couch. His couch; she must have fallen asleep. "Um..." He was so awfully close, face inches away... "Uchiha-san?" she breathed, tensing all over again. He _had_ to know what he was doing. There was no possible way he didn't, and damn her if it wasn't very distracting. "Could you... get off."

He obliged instantly, untangling his legs from her's, releasing her wrists and standing up. "Tea?" He motioned toward the familiar tarnished tray sitting innocuously on the coffee table.

She thought about it for a moment but finally shook her head. "No. I should probably just get going," she muttered. "I'm sorry about falling asleep on your couch."

The Uchiha shrugged, looking down at her calmly as she stood and shifted uneasily. "It's fine," he replied in his usual apathetic, soft tone. And it was true, he realized. He didn't mind that she'd passed out on him at all. In fact, he'd even kept a couple of her curious friends away to let her sleep a little longer; she really did look exhausted half the time nowadays.

His words clearly surprised her, for she looked up from contemplating her hands with wide, shocked eyes. "I... Really?" It was as if she didn't know what to think, which was partially true. She couldn't wrap her mind around ruthless and deadly, painfully polite Uchiha Itachi not minding her being rude. She really felt like a jackass. "Oh... I... um."

"Your friend Yamanaka asked about you, Sakura-san," he interrupted.

Once again surprised, she blinked up at him. "Oh. Um, what'd she want?"

Itachi shrugged again, turning away to grab the extra cup on the tray in order to put it up. "She said you had scheduled 'girl time'," he replied, his tone questioning.

Sakura felt like pinching her nose, but didn't because then her companion would know something was up. "Oh." Well, message received, anyway. 'You have to give me the details'. Nosy Ino. "I totally forgot about that. I'll have to make it up to her." She smiled up at him and promptly bowed. "I have to get going. Thank you for being so accommodating, Itachi-san." With that, she let herself out, leaving Itachi to wonder when they'd switched to using their given names.

xXx

Itachi was well aware of the other person apparently trying to sneak up on him, even as a kunai was finally placed against his neck and he stilled, visibly washing the blood from his hands in a stream. He didn't worry about the blade cutting him and turned his head ever so slightly to look over his shoulder. "Kisame."

"Itachi." Gone were the honorifics, but they'd only ever used them on principal. They were far too familiar with each other to really need them. Kisame was on his knees behind Itachi, leaning close, ready to end his life at the slightest sign that Itachi would attack. But still he hesitated, a frown on shark-like features. "You're a Konoha nin, then. It's as Leader suspected."

"Pein is a fool; if he suspected, he should have investigated." It didn't need to be said that Itachi wouldn't have been caught anyway, so Kisame shook his head.

"Maybe. Why didn't you tell me?"

The Uchiha froze, eyes widening imperceptibly at the heavily veiled hurt in the shark nin's voice. Surely not. "Kisame, don't be foolish."

"I'm not, Itachi. I'm not being foolish at all." And it was there, written plainly across the other's face; he would have followed and nothing could have stopped him. But now... Now he was in a difficult position, and it was either abandon Akatsuki and thus be hunted as Itachi was, or kill the closest thing Hoshigaki Kisame had ever had to a friend. Or perhaps little brother was more accurate. "Dammit, Uchiha."

Itachi resisted the sudden weary urge to sigh and looked upwards, into the tree tops, past them, into the sky, past it, eyes alighting on stars both bright and dull. One winked, brightened and went out. "If you are under orders to kill me, you should do it now, because if you hesitate, I will not be merciful."

"Fuck." The kunai was withdrawn and Kisame allowed himself to sit back on his rear, propping one knee up in front of him to wrest his wrist against, kunai dangling from ready fingers. "Then don't be merciful, Itachi, 'cause I ain't gonna kill you."

The Uchiha turned, red eyes spinning, but he did not pull Kisame into a genjutsu and in return Kisame met his gaze evenly. An inclined head relayed his acceptance, even as red eyes looked into the foliage and met narrowed grey. His teammate didn't budge, though, and continued to assess the situation. That was all Itachi could ask for now and he lowered his gaze back to Kisame's charcoal eyes. "Very well. Leave Akatsuki, Kisame. They will fall; I will make sure of it."

Kisame's eyes widened at the warning. "What?"

"You know it'll happen eventually, and with me no longer one of them, it is destined."

"Fuck. You've gotta be kidding me." But there was no amusement in Itachi's hard eyes, and Kisame slumped. "Hell, Itachi. Akatsuki'll just send someone after me. Probably Hidan."

Itachi once again met the eyes of their watcher, only to find them widened and furious. Yes, Hidan would be a sore spot for him, wouldn't he. Itachi looked down at the shark and was amused to find his gaze not on Itachi but off to the side. As if he were suddenly paying attention to his surroundings. So he'd noticed. "And if you let them kill you after being my partner for so long, then letting you live is a pointless venture."

Kisame looked at him again, understanding in his eyes, but he didn't let his new knowledge change his words. "Of course." He sighed and rubbed a hand through already tousled blue hair. "This is fucking ridiculous, you know. What sorta choice is it, between the relative security Akatsuki offers to a nuke nin like me and the constant alert and fear for my life if I were alone?"

"It is your decision, ultimately," Itachi replied, standing. "However, if I meet you and you still wear that cloak, I will end your life then." And he truly did not wish to do so, as he turned to run off through the treetops and their watcher vanished.

"Yeah. I know, Itachi."

He was gone.

xXx

Shikamaru was sitting with Sai, both mostly quiet as their meal of fish cooked over a fire, when Itachi met them there several miles away from where he'd been. The roommates looked at each other and Sai didn't notice, immediately picking up on his new favorite past time, bright fake smile touching a colorless face.

"Itachi-san! Good that you are finally here."

Itachi frowned at the impudent boy, but was ignored as Sai launched into a diatribe on prestigious clan mating habits. Itachi's brow nearly twitched. He shared another look with his teammate, who was smirking in amusement as he leaned lazily back against a tree. Sai, realizing that he was being ignored, regained Itachi's attention with a query about his libido, or lack thereof. Black eyes narrowed dangerously, but Sai only smiled innocently (or his approximation of such) and patiently awaited an answer.

"... What are you talking about?"

Sai shrugged. "You turn every man and woman that approaches you away, and I happen to know that despite rumors, you have not touched Sakura indecently once."

Itachi glared. "How would you know?" he demanded, part of him rather offended that Sai would think he knew anything.

A brow quirked in a very good imitation of the Uchiha, and he realized how well the boy paid attention to everything around him. "Well, you haven't been put in the hospital, for one," Sai replied dryly.

"He's got a point, there," Shikamaru pointed out, eyes laughing at him.

Itachi resisted the very uncharacteristic urge to scowl. He did not enjoy being teased. "Perhaps I am simply better than you give me credit, boy," he replied and no, he was not growling in frustration and annoyance.

Sai, however, leaped upon what he was sure he definitely was not doing. "Oh? Then you profess to having made a move on her?"

"No."

"I knew it."

"I did not profess to anything."

"You hinted at it."

"No. I did not."

"Yes you did."

Shikamaru smirked, watching the exchange as Itachi became more and more livid and Sai more and more excited. Really, the boy was like a demon when it came to getting a rise out of people. Despite his thoughts, the argument continued unhindered. "I. Did. Not."

"Then why are you so angry? I think you did."

"No. I didn't."

"You did."

"I will kill you."

"Of course." A not-so-fake grin. "But that doesn't change the facts."

Itachi growled. "There are. no. facts, you dimwitted boy."

"Oh, so you're resorting to name-calling now."

Itachi appeared to be unsure if he should tear out his hair in frustration or strangle Sai in fury. He settled for glaring instead, but then forced himself to calm down, not knowing why Sakura was such a touchy subject. "There is nothing wrong with my libido, dobe, and there is nothing going on between Sakura and I."

Sai's brow quirked again, as did Shikamaru's, though for entirely different reasons. As the Nara genius reflected on the similarities between Sai and Itachi's interactions and Sasuke and Naruto's, Sai continued speaking, winding the Uchiha up all over again.

"I never said there was something going on between you and Ugly. Only that it was ridiculous that you hadn't made a move on her," Sai said, smirking seemingly knowingly.

Itachi's eyes narrowed for two different reasons. "Don't call her that. Her name is Sakura and I happen to know she beats you to a pulp every time you refer to her as such." The meaning behind his words - the threat - made Sai gulp. "And I am not _going_ to make a move on her, because she does not interest me."

"Then who does?" Sai went on after a beat, and perhaps just a bit more seriously.

"No one." With that, Itachi turned his back, scooped up their canteens, and darted off in the direction of the nearby stream.

Sai smirked. "Told you so."

Shikamaru sighed and began searching for the ryou he knew he was hiding somewhere, damning the intimidating pink-haired kunoichi and her penchant for beating people up if they so much as said she was hot.

xXx

**Yes. This does mean that despite him arguing to the contrary, Sai bet that nothing had happened between them and Shikamaru had bet something had. Because Shika's around Itachi more often and notices things. Not that there's anything to notice. *shifty eyes* Yet.**

**R&R!**


	5. Catching Up

**I Spy  
Chapter 5  
Catching Up**

xXx

Sakura looked up as Ino finally arrived, half an hour after the pink-haired kunoichi had gotten off her shift at the hospital. It was nearing four in the afternoon that Wednesday, which was just fine with her. It was usually nice this time of day, and she was glad she'd chosen this small, out of the way outdoor cafe to await her friend in. Even if she had been more worried about Itachi missing his healing session yesterday than she had been of the potential, embarrassing meeting coming up with her best friend.

Unsurprisingly, Ino caught sight of her and made a bee-line for her table, ignoring the 'please wait to be seated' sign by the white-painted, wooden fence enclosing the dining area. She jerked an equally wooden chair out and sat, pinning Sakura with a stare. "I finally caught you," she said pointedly, raising a blonde brow.

"I wasn't avoiding you," Sakura lied in return. She actually _had _been avoiding her, but after seeing Choji earlier and having him complain about Ino's behavior, she'd decided she should just get this over with.

"Hm," Ino hummed, unconvinced. She straightened as a waitress wandered over and turned to make her order without looking at the menu, then pinned Sakura with a suspicious look once the woman was gone. Casually, she rested her elbow on the table and propped her head up with her fist underneath her chin. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Sakura's eyes grew wide and she immediately sputtered indignantly. "Wh-what? Ino, I already told you it wasn't like that between us!" she said, outraged. "Itachi-san is a friend and a colleague, that's-"

Ino pounced on her slip with the eagerness of a starving lion catching sight of a lone, hurt gazelle. "Itachi-san? Ooh, you're on a first-name basis now, huh?" the blonde said with a sly smile. "I knew it," she added smugly.

Sakura growled. "Ino-pig, I'm going to punch you in that perfect little nose of yours," she threatened, aggravated. "We. Are. **Not. **Sleeping together," she said slowly, grinding the words out between gritted teeth.

"Hmph," Ino huffed, pouting. "I don't believe you- oh!" Her eyes widened as she fixed her gaze beyond Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura-san."

Sakura jumped at the unexpected voice and spun in her chair, eyes wide as she took in the three males behind her. Shikamaru waved lazily while Sai smiled in an obviously fake manner at Ino. Itachi ignored everyone else and met her eyes, continuing unprompted. "I have something at home that I wish for your medical opinion on," he said bluntly.

She blinked, her mind taking a minute to catch up with his veiled meaning. "Medical...? Oh! Yes, yes of course," she agreed quickly, smiling up at him. "Do you want to go now?"

Sai wandered past Itachi and stole Sakura's bread stick, that fake smile directed at Ino as he inquired after her health. "I must make my report first," the Uchiha replied, glancing at Ino briefly before disregarding her. "You may come over tonight."

"Okay," she agreed slowly, confused. She shrugged the feeling off after a pause and smiled again. "Well, you weren't here yesterday, anyway, so it's just as well."

He offered a curt nod and spun on his heel. "Have a pleasant meal," he said over his shoulder before walking off, Sai and Shikamaru following behind him. The former Root nin dropped the half-eaten bread stick onto a napkin on the table as he left.

Sakura slowly turned back around, counting down from three in her head. On zero, a very strange smile crossed Ino's face and she opened her mouth. What came out of her mouth, however, was not what Sakura expected. "If you don't want him, then I'm gonna grab him up," she said decisively.

Pink brow quirking, Sakura tilted her head, curiosity written openly on her face as green eyes sparkled with amusement. "What about Sai?"

Ino paused at that, a soft blush burning it's way up her neck and into her face. "Oh."

Sakura nodded. "Thought so." She saw the bread stick and scowled. "That damn..."

Ino pretended not to notice.

xXx

Itachi stopped in front of the Hokage tower and turned to his two temporary teammates. "I can go alone," he said to them, looking at Sai. "You may go."

Sai tipped his head to the side curiously, but nodded after a moment. "Very well, Itachi-san," he agreed, a fake smile on his face. "Have fun on your date with Ugly!" And with that, he dissolved into a puddle of ink, which dissipated in seconds, leaving Itachi to glower at the ground.

Shikamaru cleared his throat, attracting Itachi's attention. "So... let's go. You can go back, you know. I need to make a separate report to the Hokage anyway."

Itachi regarded the younger genius for a moment, wondering if he was going to tell the blonde Hokage what he'd seen of Itachi's and Kisame's interaction in the forest. Cole-black eyes narrowed on Shikamaru before he shook his head negatively. "I am the captain; I'll make the report," he decided. "... I appreciate the offer."

The lazy nin's brow hiked up as he watched Itachi turn and abruptly head into the Hokage tower. That was... really strange to hear coming from Uchiha's mouth. He'd almost said 'thank you'. Shikamaru shook his head, bewildered. He still hadn't managed to figure this man out, but one thing was for sure...

He retained some sort of friendship with the mizu missing nin. Shikamaru just wasn't sure what.

xXx

"Shikamaru," Tsunade said, smiling slightly at the shadow-user. He'd come in five minutes after she dismissed Itachi after the captain's report. "How went his first mission? Well, I hope?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru agreed. He hesitated, wondering if he should really tell her about Itachi's meeting with his old partner, but after a beat, he sighed. "He met up with Hoshigaki Kisame."

Honey-colored eyes widened in surprise. "What?" she demanded sharply. "Are you saying-"

He shook his head, and when she fell silent, he went on. "He warned Hoshigaki to leave Akatsuki, and that if he was still with them the next time they met, Itachi-san would kill him."

Her brow furrowed in bewilderment. "Then they're close?" she murmured, more to herself then him, but he answered anyway.

"It would appear so." He shifted uneasily, then offered his opinion. "I don't think he'll leave Konoha now," he said slowly. "There's... _some_thing... between him and Sakura. He's curious about her, and I think he might remind her enough of Sasuke to keep her coming back. He won't leave, if only because he doesn't have her figured out."

Tsunade chewed on her lip as she thought this over. "... was he aware that you knew? That you'd seen, I mean," she asked, deciding to focus on that rather than Uchiha's possible semi-attachment to her apprentice.

"Yes. He probably knew I was there from the outset," Shikamaru replied with a sigh. "He is a very good ninja. Better than me, anyway."

She nodded. "Well, he did massacre an entire clan of elite shinobi," she pointed out, frowning, then changed the subject. "The deadline's tomorrow, Shikamaru."

He shook his head as if to clear it and pressed his lips together, pushing his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "I know. You haven't managed to convince them?"

"No," she admitted, scowling in annoyance. "We'll have to keep his meeting with the Mizu nin to ourselves for now. Not only for his sake, but for mine. They'll seek to undermine my authority if it seems that I was wrong about Uchiha."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We'll make him look pretty for now," he sighed, frowning. "His eyes are improving somewhat, but he used the Sharringan on the mission, so they're a little worse than they've been. He thinks he may have strained them."

"Sakura's going to be angry," she muttered, smirking in amusement. She nodded to the door. "Your report is noted. Dismissed."

He bowed and turned, leaving the room swiftly, and Shizune entered in his wake. She offered her Hokage a smile, then frowned when she noticed that Tsunade had already broken out a bottle of Sake. She snatched it away and started griping about paper-work.

Tsunade sighed. Never a moment's break, dammit.

xXx

When Sakura finally arrived a little past seven thirty, Itachi was just finishing the dishes after his and Shikamaru's dinner, and the lazy nin had settled in the living room. Itachi unplugged the sink, then dried his hands on a dishtowel before going to the door. He nodded at her. "Sakura-san."

She smiled slightly at him and entered when he stepped aside. "Hello Itachi-san," she greeted cheerily, toeing her shoes off and setting them aside in the shoe-rack.

He quirked a brow. "You're in a good mood," he pointed out.

The kunoichi chuckled as they wandered toward the living room. "Well, yeah. Lee and I were sparring, which is why it's so late. We lost track of time," she admitted sheepishly. She waved at the other man in the house. "Hi Shika. Ino says you're dead."

He looked up at her with wide eyes. "What? Oh, come on... What'd I do this time?"

Sakura shrugged. "She didn't say, but I get the impression that you forgot something."

Shikamaru's brow furrowed as he tried to recall what he'd forgotten, but he shook his head in bewilderment. "I have no idea," he muttered dejectedly. "Mendokusai..."

Sakura fought a smile at the familiar phrase as she sat on the love-seat and gestured for Itachi to sit next to her. "It'll be alright," she assured the shadow user. "You won't stay dead. She'll bring you back to kill you again and then you can run," she assured him.

He gave her a bland look that made her giggle. "Gee. Thanks. That was a wonderful pep-talk, Sakura," he deadpanned.

"You're welcome," she quipped, beaming.

He rolled his eyes. "Women..."

Chuckling, she turned to look at Itachi and quirked a brow. "So... Why was it so urgent to see me tonight? Or were you just saying that because you missed yesterday?"

Itachi regarded her for a moment before inclining his head. "That, and... I may have over-used it."

Silence. Shikamaru shifted away, then got up and tiptoed out of the room, making himself scarce as a thunderous expression crossed Sakura's face. "What."

The Uchiha sighed at her soft question-turned-statement. "I over-used it. My eyes hurt. There was no way to avoid using it as much as I had, otherwise I wouldn't have."

She glared at him. "Right. So you couldn't have incapacitated whoever it was with your hands?"

"No."

The frank answer gave her pause, but only for a moment and then she was groaning in annoyance. "I swear, Itachi-san. You should be more careful! Uhg. The more you use it, the longer healing them completely will take!"

His brow lifted. "I'm sure that is fine," he replied cryptically.

Sakura scowled. "And what's that supposed to mean?" He didn't answer, so she shook her head with a huff. "Fine, be all mysterious-Uchiha-like. See if I care," she muttered before reaching up and abruptly starting the session.

Since her eyes were closed, she completely missed his smirk.

xXx

**Aaah! An update! No! Surely I jest! Nope! It's really an update! Everyone, feel free to thank Azhwi. She apparently knows just what to say to boost my muse. Lol.**


	6. Before the Mission

**I Spy  
Chapter 6  
Before the Mission**

xXx

"A mission?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. I'm sending you as the medic on a mission to Snow," she said, peering at the pink-haired kunoichi. "Uchiha Itachi will be the captain, with Nara Shikamaru and Sai going along as well."

Sakura shook her head, bemused. "Why _do _you keep grouping those three, anyway?" she asked, taking the mission papers from her shisho.

Tsunade sighed, propping her head on her hand. "Well, aside from us and Shizune, Shikamaru's the only one that knows about Uchiha's issue." She tapped the corner of her eye pointedly. "And Sai... Well, that just amuses me."

"You put Sai on the team for shits and giggles?" Sakura asked skeptically, giving her teacher a look.

Tsunade smirked. "Pretty much. He annoys the shit out of Uchiha. I have a betting pool saying Uchiha beats the crap out of him in the next two weeks."

Sakura sighed and shook her head, eyes scanning over the scroll. Her brow slowly slid upwards before she looked up at the Hokage. "A princess?" she asked, surprised.

"Not the high princess, but yes. A princess. From Shadow. She's going to marry the Snow prince," Tsunade explained patiently.

Sakura hid her grin. "A princess, from shadow, is marrying the prince from Snow?"

Tsunade scowled. "Yes. I already noticed the irony, you don't have to point it out."

Sakura chuckled but fell silent, reading over the rest of the scroll. She stood there for several more minutes, committing it to memory, before she handed it back and bowed. "I take it you'll be debriefing the others?" she asked.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes. There's one more thing, though, which is why I'm debriefing you separately..."

xXx

"Tadaima," Itachi called as he stepped into his house, toeing off his shoes and placing them in the rack by the door. He put on his usual black slippers.

"Okaeri," came Shikamaru's bored voice, followed by laughter, then choking. "Troublesome..."

Itachi stepped into the living room and quirked a brow at the trio playing cards at the tea table. Well, two of them were. One was bent over, sitting on the couch, coughing up the chips he'd inhaled while he was laughing. Yamanaka got up and patted Akamichi on the back, looking sympathetic, and when she saw Itachi, she smiled and waved.

"Okaeri nasai, Itachi-kun," she greeted cheerfully.

His brow lifted further at the switch to his given name and the honorific attached. Oh no. Did he already have a fangirl? "Arigato, Yamanaka-san," he replied and inclined his head to Akamichi, who'd finally regained his breath.

"Hi," he greeted simply.

Shikamaru sighed. "Hokage-sama wants us to report for a mission briefing at six," he said without preamble.

Itachi nodded. "Very well. Who are our teammates?"

"You, me and Sai, like last time. She said she's sending a medic with us too," the lazy nin replied.

"Did she say who?"

Shikamaru shrugged, throwing his cards down on the table and getting up. "No."

"Very well." Itachi sighed and turned. "I will be in the celler if you need me," he told his roommate before disappearing down the hall.

Ino gave a dreamy sigh. "Sakura's sooo lucky," she murmured, effecting a dramatic pose.

Choji gave her a weird look. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru shook his head at his best friend. "Don't ask. Just don't. You'll get her going."

Ino threw a balled up piece of paper and it bounced off his head.

"See?"

xXx

"ALL RIGHT, SHUT UP!" Tsunade shouted, glowering at the council. They fell silent, though it was obvious they weren't pleased. She really, really wanted to just dissolve the council and be done with it, but no, Shizune insisted they were crucial to the 'balance of power'. She sent a glare at her assistant, who ignored it. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the council. "Now, I know it's all one big hate fest on Uchiha Itachi in here, but if you recall, it was the council that ordered him to kill his family. The only thing he did 'wrong'," she made air quotes with her fingers, "is spare his little brother's life-"

"Tsunade-hime, with all due respect," Tanaka Mio, the female elder, interrupted, "If he had completely obeyed his orders from the beginning, we wouldn't have to deal with one of Konoha's biggest threats since the Kyu-"

Tsunade's fist slammed on the table, her glare burning holes in the woman's face (figuratively). "Completely obeyed his orders?" she hissed furiously. "If you hadn't ordered him to kill his family to begin with, we would have been able to find a peaceable solution to the unrest among the Uchiha, and Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't have had to grow up mad, with no mother or father to turn him in the right direction!"

There was a sigh from the back of the room, and all eyes turned toward the council member sitting there. "Tsunade-hime," Danzo said patiently, fixing her with a tolerant look. "We've heard all of these arguments before, but the fact of the matter is, we simply aren't convinced of Uchiha Itachi's loyalty to the village, or you."

Tsunade glared at him. "Has he done one bad thing since he returned?" she demanded, looking at the rest of the council. "Has he disobeyed one order given him by myself, my assistant or you?" Silence, and Tsunade nodded. "He hasn't, so what reason do you have to distrust him to the point that you're willing to not give him a chance?"

Danzo's lips thinned slightly as he frowned at her. "I believe I speak for the council in saying, Tsunade-hime, that we aren't convinced, and there is no way we will be. It's better to just lock the threat away-" He cut himself off at her triumphant look.

"You'll have to wait, then," she declared, smirking. "He's just left with a team on a mission."

Tanaka straightened, eyes wide. "Tsunade-hime!" she gasped. "You are deliberately-"

"Lemme guess," Tsunade interrupted. "I'm deliberately trying to _undermine __**your**_ _authority_, ne?" She gave them a vicious smile as she stood. "Who's the Hokage here, me or you?" she added. "We'll have another meeting once Uchiha Itachi returns." With that, she spun on her heel and stalked from the room.

Shizune offered a quick, small bow before hurrying after her. "Tsunade-sama," she said worriedly, "Was it wise to send him off on a mission today?"

"Yes," the Hokage replied, obviously in a foul mood. "If not, they would have had him executed by dawn."

Shizune gulped. "Ts-Tsunade-sama... What are you going to do?"

The blonde scowled. "This is getting tedious, Shizune," she said as they stepped into the elevator. "They continuously undermine my authority, and it's beginning to become a problem. People are beginning to wonder who's really in charge, according to Ibiki and Genma. I cannot allow this to continue." Her brows furrowed. "If they do not concede, I may have to dissolve the council."

Shizune froze as the doors of the elevator opened, just standing there and watching her Hokage walk away. Dissolve the council?

xXx

**Short chapter, I know. -sigh- But it's in preparation for the next chapter, which should be much, much longer. I'm going to try to fit the entire mission into the next chapter, so prepare. R&R! Reviews make me happy!**


	7. The Mission to Snow pt 1

**I Spy  
Chapter 7  
The Mission to Snow  
Part 1  
Outset**

xXx

It was a wonderful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the squirrels were frolicking in the grass... And the Kyuubi holder was almost back to Konoha! He couldn't wait to tell Sakura about the mess in Suna. She'd been irritated with him lately, so maybe if he fudged things and told her he stuck up for Itachi (rather than remaining silent the whole time), she'd talk to him again. Maybe.

Grinning, Naruto walked through the gates of Konoha, stretching his arms before heading over to the two sentries at the side. He waved as they looked up. "Hey Genma, hey Naika," he greeted the man and woman sitting there.

Genma gave a lazy wave. "Hey, Naruto. How went your mission?"

The blond shrugged. "As expected. Gaara's a little annoyed with the councils and everything."

Naika, a chuunin five years older than Naruto, nodded sympathetically. "Yeah. I hope they're able to clear Ita-"

Genma's hand over her mouth cut her off. "So! You should go report to Tsunade-sama, right, Naruto?" he asked, voice a little higher than normal.

Naruto gave him a weird look. "Well, yeah... But why are you covering Naika-san's mouth...?"

"She's crazy. Completely nuts," Genma hastened to explain. "You should go. Report. To Tsunade-sama."

"... right..." Naruto shrugged and turned, then paused. "Oh! Have you seen Sakura-chan around?" he asked as Genma uncovered Naika's mouth.

Genma sighed. "Um... Actually, she left on a mission last night," he said.

"Really?"

Naika nodded, beaming. "With Uchiha-sama."

Silence. "What."

Genma glared at Naika, who just looked confused. Naruto stared at them for a moment, then his eyes narrowed angrily. "WHAT?"

Birds took off from nearby trees and the frolicking squirrels dove for cover.

xXx

Tsunade yawned, then stacked another popsicle stick on top of her tower of them, all standing vertically. A bit of chakra glued them together. Shizune came in then, and the tower fell over, prompting a scowl from the blonde Hokage. Shizune smiled.

"Naruto's back, I hear," she said.

Tsunade froze. "When?"

"Um... About five minutes ago?" Shizune replied, confused.

The Hokage sighed. "Five, four, three-"

"What are you-"

"Two-"

SLAM!

"TSUNADE-BAABAA!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT, BRAT!"

"TSUNADE-BAACHAN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

"I'M THINKING I'M GONNA TAN YER HIDE IF YOU CALL ME THAT AGAIN! CALM THE HELL DOWN!" she screamed, glaring at the jinchurriki. Naruto was visibly fuming, red starting to creep into his irises, but he took a deep, sharp breath and clenched his fists, calming himself for the Hokage's explanation.

"How could you?" he hissed angrily. "How could you send her off with that... that TRAITOR! IT'S-"

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped. His mouth shut with an ivory click and she glowered at him silently for a moment. "One, I don't have to explain myself to a brat like you, and two," she growled here, and Naruto closed his mouth again, "Two, she was necessary for this mission, so shut the fuck up and get over yourself. Itachi-san is a nin of this village and your comrade, whether you like it or not. In fact, he's specifically there in order to _protect_ Sakura. You are NOT to go after them, you are NOT to interfere in any way, and you are NOT to disobey my orders."

"But baasan-"

"No," she said firmly. "Hand in your report, and then I want you to investigate rumors of a Sharringan user in Bird Country." Far, far out of Sakura's path.

For a tense moment, Naruto looked torn, face crumpled in something akin to indecisive agony. But then his expression cleared and he nodded. "I'll bring Sasuke back, and then Sakura will talk to me again," he said firmly (Tsunade felt a little bad for fabricating rumors of a Sharringan user, and decided to talk to Sakura when she got back).

"Fine," the Hokage said and nodded, taking the scroll he held out to her. "Get some rest and then leave in the morning."

"Hai." He turned sharply and left, still angry.

xXx

Itachi was a little surprised that he wasn't the first to wake. The sun was just lighting the morning, meaning it was somewhere around six AM, when he awoke, and he found that Sakura was already up and fussing with... a needle...

"Sakura-san?"

She started, the needle held in one hand as the other was raised to flick it. "Itachi-san! You're awake!"

She sounded surprised. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes."

The kunoichi smiled. "Good. Wake Sai and Shika, too, would you?"

He nodded and got to his feet, moving to Shikamaru's side and nudging him with his foot. "Shikamaru-san," he said, "Wake up."

Shikamaru groaned and opened one eye. "Damn, it's early," he complained, sitting up.

"Sakura-san asked me to wake you." Itachi moved back to his sleeping bag and grabbed up his canteen, then moved over to Sai. Luckily, the boy was already awake and rolling by the time the water splashed to the ground where his head had been. Otherwise he'd be wet.

"Good morning, Itachi-san," Sai greeted, getting easily to his feet.

"Hn."

"By the way, I never did ask how your date with Ugly went- ow!" Sai stared at Sakura, who'd walked over and stuck a needle in the side of his neck. He gaped at her for a moment, watching as she pushed the cartridge down, then pulled the needle back out and glared at him.

"What did you say?" she demanded, eyes narrowed.

He didn't answer, and instead lifted a hand to touch his neck. "Ugly, what did you do...?" he asked, looking vaguely horrified.

She snorted. "I shouldn't have given you any," she said as she capped the used needle and put it in a small plastic bag, grabbed a fresh needle and cartridge and moved over to Shikamaru, this time with an alcohol pad. He offered his arm silently, stifling a yawn. Nodding her thanks for his compliance, she cleaned a small circle on the underside of his elbow with the pad, then carefully pushed the needle into his flesh. She depressed the cartridge, then pulled it out and replaced it and the needle again.

Itachi watched as she gave herself a shot, eyes narrowed. "What is that?"

"A vaccine," she replied distractedly, slowly pulling the needle out from under her skin.

Sai and Itachi exchanged looks, the pale-painted man questioning further. "Vaccine? Are we sick?"

Sakura blinked and looked up at them. "What? No. No, you're not sick, Sai. This is to prevent you from _becoming_ sick," she explained patiently, repeating the process again and turning to look calmly at Itachi.

He regarded her for a moment, then nodded curtly and held out his left arm. She swiped an alcohol pad over a spot, then pressed the needle inside his arm. He actually felt it when the liquid entered his system, cool and burning at the same time. The feeling spread through his arm and then dissipated, supposedly moving throughout his system. She offered him a small smile before cleaning up her things and putting them away.

"You need to eat, soon," she said to them. "The side-effects of the vaccine are hunger, headaches, and occasional sleeplessness. It expands your appetite, so eating is a good idea." She rolled up her sleeping bag and tied it to the back of her pack, then stood.

"Where are _you _going?" Shikamaru asked.

She beamed and pulled a wakizashi out of her pack. "Nowhere important," she replied flippantly. "Follow and I'll crush your bones to dust without taking them out of your skin." With that cheery statement, she jogged into the surrounding forest. The trio left behind gave each other looks before shrugging and continuing what they were doing.

Mainly, cooking breakfast.

Once Sakura was satisfied that none of her teammates had followed, she set to collecting the secret ingredients to make more vaccine. She'd need it.

xXx

**I lied. It's short. But the next couple of chapters WILL be long. XD R&R! And... I want FANART, PEEPS! Seriously. I NEVER get fanart! You make me feel unloved!**


	8. The Mission to Snow pt 2

**I Spy  
Chapter 8  
The Mission to Snow  
Part 2  
Day Two**

xXx

The second morning on their way to Shadow, Sakura left before anyone else got up and so, after some discussion, the guys decided to go get food. Shikamaru meandered off toward a nearby stream, leaving the others to their own devices. He peered into the water curiously, unsurprised to note that it was teaming with fish. "Fish it is," he muttered, sounding absolutely unenthusiastic.

xXx

Meanwhile, Sai was stalking his own prey, the rumbling in his stomach urging him on. He waited for a few moments, surveying the surrounding forest and- there! He made a few handseals, and within moments, the three rabbits he'd caught were dead and in his hands. He grinned, sure Shikamaru had probably taken the easy way out and went after fish. He _would_ win their unofficial contest now! The only thing that worried him is he was unsure what Itachi would go after.\

xXx

While Sai was gloating over his supposed victory and Shikamaru was lazing about on the bank of the river with a make-shift fishing pole, Itachi was in the trees, running along in search of a meal. He decided upon something big, since he was pretty hungry. That and he wouldn't let that egotistical, stuck up, assumedly emotionless brat one-up him. Not that he'd admit to these thoughts, of course. He stopped by a clearing. Down below, a pheasant was digging at a patch of dirt with it's feet before dipping it's head and grabbing a worm it'd found. Itachi nodded, satisfied. After he killed that bird, he'd go find another.

xXx

The three met up again after about an hour and started skinning and cooking their respective food, all agreeing that it would be best to share - Sai commented that this was because they were all good shinobi boys and girls, and Itachi threw a rock at him - while they waited for Sakura to return. When she did, all three looked up, both Itachi and Sai realizing they'd not come close to winning. Not with her around.

She was carrying a moose. And not just any moose. A huge one. A male one. It was humongous.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted cheerfully, dropping the moose with a thud to the ground.

Sai was the first to recover from his shock. "I see your taste in men hasn't improved, Ugly," he commented.

This time, he got an entire moose kicked into his face...

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."

xXx

The group were running through the trees, Itachi at the rear, Sakura at the front and Sai and Shikamaru in the center. The two in the middle were discussing something in low tones, but until Itachi heard their female teammate's name, he hadn't been paying much attention. When he heard it, though, he quickened his pace slightly to draw a little closer in order to eavesdrop.

"-got a scar from him, too. I think she actually is still injured from the last time we saw that traitorous bastard," Sai was saying, sounding slightly annoyed.

Shikamaru gave him a strange look. "Why hasn't she healed herself? And I thought Naruto said he didn't get near her last time?"

"Naruto lied, to appease everyone. Ugly said she didn't want anyone to know, and that it wasn't serious," Sai replied, shrugging. "I figured she would know better than anyone and left it be."

"Did you tell the Hokage?" Shikamaru asked.

"She did, or so she says," Sai said.

Shikamaru fell silent, contemplative. "Why wouldn't she heal it by now, though?" he mused, more to himself than the ex-Root beside him.

Sai answered anyway. "I don't know. She gets strange about that man."

"It doesn't make sense, Sai," Shikamaru argued. "She hasn't had feelings like that for Sasuke since she started taking on more work for the hospital. She hasn't had the time to feel that way about him, or anyone. So why would she refuse to heal an injury he inflicted simply because it was him that inflicted it?"

Sai pondered that for a moment. "I don't know," he admitted thoughtfully. "Perhaps she wishes it to scar? Some sort of failure mark or something."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, that doesn't fit. Sakura doesn't do things like that. She's downright scary about her appearance - almost as bad as Ino is - and a medic to boot. She wouldn't let it scar because that would give it the chance to get infected."

"True," Sai mused. He shrugged. "I don't know. Probably never will. She doesn't really open up to me; not like she does with Naruto. Ask him about it when we get back."

Shikamaru sighed and nodded glumly. "You're right. I'll talk to him about it, I guess." With that, the duo fell silent, and Itachi, interest piqued by the fact that the wound had to do with his precious little brother, tucked the conversation away in his mind.

xXx

That night, when they stopped for the day, Itachi approached Sakura. It was Friday anyway, and thus they needed to do another healing session. But first things first. "Sakura-san."

She looked up from where she was setting out her sleeping bag. "Hello Itachi-san," she said, smiling. She glanced in Sai - and Shikamaru's - direction. "Did you need something?"

"Are you injured?" he asked, crouching and missing Sai and Shikamaru's exchanged look.

Sakura blinked, surprised. "Oh, you noticed? It's nothing; I'm fine," she assured him, smiling. She looked a little embarrassed.

He remained unconvinced. "May I check it anyway?" he asked. "As the medic on my team, I cannot have you risking yourself unnecessarily. I need to assure myself that it will not hinder you."

Strangely, Sakura turned a bright cherry color that clashed horribly with her hair. "Uh... No," she said, clearing her throat. "It's fine. Trust me. I'm the medic, so I should know."

The corners of Itachi's mouth tightened fractionally, but he offered a brisk nod. "Yes. You should," he agreed.

"You should do something about your face, Ugly," Sai suddenly spoke up, coming over to them. "It's clashing with your hair."

Sakura drew back her fist and knocked him across the clearing, making Shikamaru whistle appreciatively. "Out cold," the kagemane user murmured, checking Sai's pulse. "Nice left hook," he added.

Itachi smirked. He quite whole-heartedly agreed with that assessment, and it also took care of Sai for the duration of their healing session. Which saved him the trouble of having to come up with something; they might think he was being traitorous or something, not that he could see Shikamaru and Sakura jumping to such conclusions. Sai, being Sai, might.

"Very well," he said, regaining the irate kunoichi's attention. "Shall we start?"

She blinked, drawing a blank for a moment. Start? With what? Oh. It was Friday. Duh. Sakura shook off her minor confusion and smiled. "Sure. Here; pull your bag over here and then you can just go to sleep afterward," she said as Shikamaru dragged Sai off by one arm, just in case he woke up during their session.

Itachi inclined his head and did so, careful not to have it _too_ close, if only to prevent Sai's suggestive platitudes. He lay down on top of it and immediately closed his eyes, aware of her every moment up to the point where she positioned herself near his head and began, stilling only then. He found the fact that she was almost meditative during this state fascinating. It made him wonder if she noticed anything going on around her. Perhaps he should remain awake until she was finished...

"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked half an hour later, when he shifted for the third time in order to keep himself conscious.

He quirked a brow without opening his eyes, knowing the expression was useless as her own eyes were closed as well. "I am fine," he replied.

"You can sleep, you know," she said after a pause, when he'd begun to think she wouldn't say anything else (and after he shifted again).

He didn't answer, but didn't bother trying to remain awake any more. She'd proved that she was still aware of her surroundings, so he didn't really need to stay awake. That was good enough for him. Some time later, he was pulled from dozing with the sound of someone approaching. As soon as he'd twitched to stand, hand shifting toward his pouch, Sakura spoke.

"It's Shikamaru," she said as the other nin stepped into the clearing.

"You gonna be much longer?" he asked, hands in his pockets as he surveyed them. "Sai's not awake yet, but he's going to be soon."

Sakura smiled slightly. "Mmm... One more hour," she decided. "Is that alright?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Fine," he replied, disappearing back into the shadowed forest.

Itachi found it interesting that he'd practically melted into the darkness. Perhaps it was his kagemane, masking his presence...? Interesting. Itachi would have to look into the matter later. It could be useful in a pinch. "Do you require a break?" he asked, his thoughts turning to the pink haired kunoichi. She'd been sitting in that same position for some time; he wondered if it was uncomfortable.

The shifting and then lessening of her chakra answered him before her words. "Yes," she said, sighing. "Maybe a sip of water..."

Itachi was up before she could twitch toward her sleeping bag, grabbing up her canteen and handing it to her. He nodded when she thanked him and then sat back down. She chuckled. "You didn't have to get up," she said, a strange note in her voice. "I could have gotten it myself."

"It's fine," he replied, shrugging. "I've slept some. Don't bother."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not lazy, you know."

He gave her a look. "You are doing me a service. The least I can manage is to get you your water," he said, closing the topic firmly.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "Alright, Itachi-san," she agreed, clearly only humoring him. "Come on. Let's finish."

"Hnn." He lay back down and closed his eyes again, relaxing under the calming, cooling effect of her chakra on his face.

The sensation lulled him to sleep again.

xXx

**Gets into the good stuff next chapter, I promise! Many thanks to azhwi - once again - for brainstorming with me and keeping me company, as well as going over and pointing out flaws in it. R&R! Don't just fave/alert! And I want FANART! *puppy dog look* Please?**


	9. The Mission to Snow pt 3

**I Spy  
Chapter 9  
The Mission to Snow  
Part 3  
Nina-Hime**

**A/N: This is unbeta'd as of now, because I will be losing internet and wanted to post it for you guys before I left. Please be patient and I'll try to update. :)**

xXx

"Ah, Konoha nin-san," a man called as he came down the small dirt path to greet them while they approached the Shadow country's castle. The man stopped about three yards away and bowed deeply, smiling.

Itachi, as the captain, stepped forward, bowing slightly as well. "You are Taikama-san, correct?" he asked, straightening.

The man nodded. "Yes, I am Taikama Yosuke. Thank you very much for assisting our precious princess. I, for one, will rest easy know that she is safe in your capable hands, ninja-san."

Itachi nodded curtly. "I am captain Itachi," he said and gestured toward his team. "This is Nara, Sai and Haruno, our medic. If possible, I would like for her to take a look at your princess before we leave."

Taikama shifted uneasily. "Ah, Haruno-san... Hokage-sama informed me that she would be telling you the nature of..." He trailed off and glanced at Itachi, whose eyes narrowed. At the look, the man stiffened and looked pleadingly at Sakura.

She sighed. "Yes, Taikama-san. She told me everything. My team do not know, but you may speak in their presence of it. I trust them." She pasted on that overly sweet, fake smile that made Sai shift away from her and Shikamaru stiffen slightly before stepping forward and offering a bow to the man. "Please. Escort me directly to Nina-hime."

Relieved, Taikama nodded. "Yes, of course, Haruno-san. This way, please." They followed him to the castle, where he motioned for a passing servant to come to him. The man bowed and Taikama coolly ordered, "Escort these gentlemen to lodgings for the evening. Come, man! Hurry up!"

Chastized, the servant bowed to the trio of males and bid they follow. Itachi didn't budge, and Sai paused after a few steps. "Itachi-san?"

"I will remain with Sakura-san," Itachi answered. "Make sure our rooms are secure."

Sai bowed, acknowledging Itachi's order as one from his captain. "Hai, taicho," he agreed and then hurried after the servant and Shikamaru.

Taikama frowned slightly at Itachi. "Ah, Itachi-san, it's not really nece-"

"I will remain with my medic," Itachi said firmly, meeting Sakura's eyes.

Her fake smile relaxed a little, becoming a little more sincere, as she gave a tiny nod. "He's just doing his job, Taikama-san," she explained, catching the man's attention. "His job is to protect me and the hime, and he's doing that. I already told you it's fine; please show me to the princess."

Still looking unsure, Taikama nodded and lead them toward a set of stairs. He lead them up several levels - six, to be exact - and down a long, drafty hall before stopping in front of an ornate, dark oak door. He reached up and rapped sharply on it, sweeping through when what looked like a guard pulled it open for them. Sakura and Itachi followed him in, finding themselves in a richly decorated bedroom.

The curtains over the sole, floor-to-ceiling window were a dark, royal purple, matching the sheets and bedspread on the bed large enough to easily fit four people comfortably. Aside from the bed, and a large dresser made with some sort of white wood, though, the room was bare.

Sitting in the middle of the bed, wrapped in a thin white nemaki, sat a tiny, black-haired woman, not much older than Sakura. Her hair had been braided and then wrapped up in a bun, which was anchored in place by a single ivory hair stick. On the end of the white stick sat what appeared to be a miniature black dragon with rubies for eyes and an emerald grin. It's tail wrapped all the way down, around and around the hair stick, disappearing into the woman's dark hair. Calm, crystal grey eyes peered up at them from a pale face, reminding Itachi of a China doll. High cheek-bones, almond-shaped eyes, a tiny mouth and thin brows completed the oval of her face, despite her stubborn chin.

The woman's small frame looked even smaller, placed as it was, swathed in purple sheets in the dead center of the too-large bed. Her hands were dainty, almost small enough to be termed 'child-like', and her skin appeared unblemished by pain or injury. All in all, however, she was quite an attractive person, if you ignored her pallor.

Not that Itachi was interested, really.

"Nina-hime," Taikama greeted with a deep bow. He gestured to the ninja just behind him. "This is Itachi taicho and Haruno-san. Haruno-san is the medic Hokage-sama wrote about; she's here to take a look at you."

The woman's pretty grey eyes moved over Itachi for a moment before turning to survey Sakura with the same intensity. "Haruno-san," she greeted softly, her voice cultured and smooth like any royal's Itachi had met. Her gaze then turned back to Itachi, meeting his eyes. "Itachi taicho."

"'San' is fine, hime," Itachi replied, voice just as soft as her's. He noticed - to his amusement - the irritated look Sakura shot him.

"Of course, Itachi-san," she agreed with a slight smile, eyes lingering on his face perhaps a little longer than necessary before she finally looked back at Sakura. "Haruno-san. You wished to see to me?" she asked.

"Yes, Nina-hime," Sakura agreed, ignoring the others in the room as she approached the princess' side. She sat on the edge of the bed and held out her hand. "May I?"

Nina nodded and placed her own hand palm-up in Sakura's, blinking curiously when Sakura's hand lit with probing chakra that ran along the hime's arm, disappearing into her chest. Both women were completely still for nearly five minutes before Sakura sat back, looking dejected and weary. She shook her head to some internal thought before turning to glare impressively at Taikama (who took a step back, making sure that Itachi was between them).

"Taikama-san," she said, frowning. "How long has she been sick? Are any others sick like this?"

He gulped and quickly shook his head. "N-no one else!" he said, paling under her stare. "No similar sickness has been reported."

"How long, Taikama-san," Sakura repeated, starting to scowl.

"A-a week?" It came out more a question than an answer, as the man was trying to placate her and not panic at the same time. And failing miserably at both.

"A WEEK?" she screeched, face turning red as she stood up and advanced on the man, poking him in the chest. "And no one thought to quarantine the possibly contagious princess?"

"W-we did-"

"Bull!" She pointed at the two guards standing by the door. Inside the room.

He followed the direction of her finger and swallowed again. "But we can't leave her undefend-"

"Fine!" Sakura poked him again. "But did you think to keep the same damn guards in here! Or at least make them clean themselves before leaving the palace?" He didn't answer, which, really, was answer enough. "I didn't think so! God! You IDIOT!" She spun on her heel and stomped back to the hime's side, sitting on the bed again. Then she turned and glowered at the men in the room. "If anyone even tries to leave this room before I say you can, I will make sure you won't be going anywhere for a month," she promised in a low voice, eyes narrowed on Taikama and the guards. "Am I clear?"

Obviously terrified, all three nodded hurriedly, much to Itachi's amusement.

xXx

The first day, they made good time, especially considering they now had extra baggage. After some arguing, Itachi had convinced Taikama not to send any maids or extra guards. They would only have slowed them down further. Sakura had administered the antidote to Nina-hime the day before, and after some discussion, had decided to heal her bit by bit so as to conserve chakra. Just in case.

After she finished that night, she relaxed against her futon, nibbling on some dried jerky left over from her moose a couple days before. Shikamaru had coaxed their guest into a game of shogi, and Sai appeared to be drawing. All in all, everything was peaceful for the time being, for which Itachi was glad.

Reclining against a tree, he craned his neck to peer up through the boughs at the stars. They twinkled merrily at the group, offering promises of freedom and peace. Itachi wasn't sure this was what was in store for him at all. He wasn't stupid. He knew the Konoha council of elders was probably chomping at the bit to cut his head off and shove it in a box. They had to be quite anxious to get rid of him, knowing what he did. He didn't know if Tsunade was aware of what really happened back then or not, but... He supposed he should be grateful that she appeared to be on his side, if only because her student was his friend.

Speaking of Sakura...

"Sakura-san," he said, lowering his head to look at her.

Sakura blinked and looked up from where she'd been spacing out, staring into the fire. "Huh?"

He refrained from smirking at her response. "How do you feel?"

"Um..." She gave him a confused look. "Fine?"

Itachi nodded. "Good."

They fell silent, but - unfortunately for them and the peace of the environment - the conversation had been enough to fuel Sai's odd need to piss people off. The painter looked up, a weird gleam in his eyes, that stupid fake smile on his lips. He opened his mouth, and Itachi had a strange premonition of doom.

"Hey, Ugly," he said, appearing thoughtful. "You and Itachi-san have been friends for a while, ne?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed suspiciously, even as Sakura answered with a bemused, "About a month, give or take. Why?"

"So, I was wondering..." His gaze flickered toward Itachi as he rolled up his scroll and put his painting things away (which really should have clued those in the clearing in on what he was up to). "When are you planning on making a move on him? Or at least cluing him in on you being ready for him to make a move on you."

At that, the clearing fell silent, every set of eyes landing on a very still Sakura. "What."

Out of the corner of his vision, Itachi saw Shikamaru pinch the bridge of his nose. Sai, seemingly oblivious, continued. "Itachi. When are you going to make a move on him?"

Sakura growled softly in warning, then took a deep breath, not daring to meet Itachi's eyes for fear of knowing exactly how he was taking this. "Sai?"

"Yes, Ugly?"

"Shut. Up."

Sai was unperturbed, and even got to his feet at this point. He picked up a long branch from the pile of kindling. "I've seen this sort of thing in many books," he said knowingly, gesturing to the branch. With a quick jutsu, it turned into... Sakura. Said medic nin gaped at him. "Where the male takes the female," he grabbed "Sakura" around the waist before dipping her backward, "And tips her over, then kisses her passionately." Thankfully, he didn't demonstrate (perhaps out of some belated survival instinct, but his refraining from doing so probably saved his life).

Sakura was glowering angrily at the pale painted man by now, fists clenched at her sides while she sat up straight on her futon. "The hell've you been reading, you stupid emotionless pervert?" she demanded. "Icha Icha?"

Sai blinked as "Sakura" turned back into a branch. "How'd you guess?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat at this point, not looking up from the shogi board in front of him (though he and Nina were no longer playing, as her gaze was focused on the ruckus). "A wise man would shut up about now," he said thoughtfully, making his move. "Then again, a wise man wouldn't have said anything from the start."

He went ignored, though, as Itachi made to get up and Sakura was already on her feet. Sai appeared oblivious to his inevitable death (for the moment). "And then, while you're distracted by his passionate embrace..." It was at this point that Sai finally looked up and noticed the advancing duo. His mouth shut for a moment before he swallowed at the murderous glares pinning him in place - one made twice as effected by the activation of the Sharringan. "Um..."

"I tried to warn you," Shikamaru muttered, more to himself than the ex-Root. "Nina-hime, your turn. And perhaps you shouldn't watch anymore. It may get bloody." A little paler than she'd been a moment ago, she nodded and returned her attention to the game before her, peeking through her lashes at the spectacle the three were making on the other side of the clearing. Shikamaru didn't bother to stop her.

Sakura growled, still not looking at her captain. "Itachi-san, back off," she snapped angrily. "He's mine."

"Of course," Itachi agreed amiably, then added, "As soon as I am finished with him." She didn't bother to correct him.

"Just don't kill him, please," Shikamaru inserted, tapping his fingers on his knee and trying to pretend he didn't notice the scuffle breaking out.

"Ug- er, Sakura-san," Sai began, apparently deciding that pleading for his life was a good idea right about now, "I was only speaking the truth. You know, telling Itachi-san's inner most feelin-"

Itachi punch him in the face, making him stumble back into a tree five feet behind him and fall onto his butt. Itachi smirked. That felt way too good. Beside him, Sakura began cracking her knuckles. "Okay," she said firmly, "You had your go. Now it's my turn."

He bowed slightly and backed up, really not wanting to get between her and Sai. He sat down, finding that he had a very good view of the proceedings from his original seat. Sakura continued, even as Sai got shakily to his feet, holding his bleeding - probably broken - nose. "Oh, Saaii," she said in a sing-song voice. Sai stumbled back away from her, eyes wide. Sakura smiled brightly. "C'mere."

"Pass," Sai replied and darted into the surrounding forest, Sakura hot on his tail. They wouldn't return for about an hour.

xXx

Itachi darted quickly through the trees, hoping to reach her before it was too late. He had to find her; had to save her. Akatsuki would kill her, he knew they would, if only because she was associated with him. Thanks to Shikamaru's warning, he'd be able to save her, he would-

"Sakura!" he called, dropping from the trees to find her kneeling beside the brook she'd been going to before they were attacked.

Startled, she looked up, one hand glowing chakra green. When she realized it was him, the glow dissipated and she smiled bemusedly. "Itachi-san?"

"We have to go." They had to run. Run far, far away... "Now."

"What?" If anything, she looked even more confused. "Itachi-sa-"

He reached out and grabbed her bicep, cutting her off, and pulled her against him, staring down into her eyes in hopes of drilling the urgency he felt into her head. "We must go," he said softly. "I cannot let them kill you."

"Itachi-san... What is wrong with you?" she asked, trying to pull back.

He shook his head, refusing to let her go. "No. We have to go."

She lifted a hand and put it against his chest, likely about to shove him away, but he suddenly - irrationally - pulled her into a crushing, desperate kiss that stilled her movements. He dipped her over backward and-

-sat straight up in his futon, eyes wide. What the hell? Did he just have a dream about kissing _Sakura_?

Itachi's eyes strayed through the dark to where Sakura was sleeping beside Nina-hime. He was pretty sure he'd just had a dream about kissing Sakura. It had to be that stupid boy's fault. If he hadn't gone and started spouting such inane, ridiculous theories, Itachi would never have dreamed about kissing Sakura.

"Itachi-san?"

He looked over, meeting Shikamaru's gaze, and decided he couldn't possibly go back to sleep now. "I'll take watch now," he said.

Shikamaru shrugged and sprawled on his futon. "Sure." He was out pretty quickly.

Sighing, Itachi glared at Sai's sleeping - and heavily bruised - form. He would get revenge. Kissing Sakura... He snorted at the thought. Even if he had been interested - which he _wasn't_ - she would kill him for trying (or try to, at least, and as she was a friend and good person, he would hate to have to kill for trying to kill him). He shook his head and stared up at the peaceful stars, vowing vengeance on Sai tomorrow.

xXx

As the day progressed, Sakura got more and more irritated with Sai. Itachi could see the warning signs, and knew that if the ex-Root didn't stop bugging her about her relationship with the Uchiha, she might just beat him to a pulp. Of course, this wouldn't be a good thing (as much as Itachi really wouldn't mind seeing Sai in excruciating pain), as it would hinder their progress. So he decided to do something about it.

"Sai, it is your turn to care for the princess," he stated with authority, and waited until the pale nin slowed to match her pace before speeding up to match Sakura's.

At first, she merely ignored him, obviously not in the mood to talk, not that he minded. If she wanted to discuss it, he'd wait for her to broach the topic. And she did, just as he'd known she would. She was Haruno Sakura. She couldn't stand silence for too long, especially a silence like this.

"He's really pissing me off," she declared, voice soft and eyes narrowed.

"Oh?"

She nodded, not looking at him. "Yes. I don't know where he got the idea that we're... that you and I... That I... You know," she finished lamely, blushing slightly.

He found it a rather odd reaction, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind. "There is a hot-springs inn about an hour away. We should reach it by sundown," he said. "We will stop there for the night."

Sakura blinked and stared at him for a moment as they walked, then smiled. "Thank you, Itachi-san," she said.

After a moment, he slowly inclined his head, a little surprised by the grateful light in her eyes. "Of course, Sakura-san," he replied, head tilted curiously as he stared into her eyes for a second longer than was necessary. _Odd_, he mused, recalling a conversation with Rock Lee a week and a half prior, _that I hadn't noticed their exact shade... Closer to... moss, than emeralds. He clearly has no idea what he's talking about._ And they weren't completely green, either, he noted. There were a few flecks of murky brown in their depths, giving the color the illusion of being darker than it was.

She suddenly cleared her throat and looked away, speeding her step anxiously. "Yeah, so... Uhm... Right." She coughed a bit and then slowed abruptly so she could fall back to Shikamaru's side. The lazy nin said something to her that made her blush and scowl, and Itachi was left to his thoughts.

Strange... He looked ahead, blinking slowly, and came to a realization; his vision had improved. It wasn't one hundred percent yet, but it was much better than it had been. He was a little surprised. Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted a hand and touched the skin just below his left eye, as if able to prove this development simply by that. It was a ridiculous notion, but he couldn't help himself. His eyes really were getting better. Sakura's treatments were working.

Soon, very soon, he'd be back to full health, and then... Slowly, unseen by his companions, a very slight, bone-chilling smile graced his mouth. And then, Madara and Akatsuki would fall for good. His mission would finally be over.

xXx

Sakura shed her bathrobe and stepped gingerly into the steaming spring-fed bath, breathing a sigh of relief. It was perfect. "Nina-hime," she said over her shoulder, "It's wonderful. Are you almost finished?"

"Yes, Sakura-san," Nina said softly, and a moment later, she too stepped into the hot water. She offered a small smile for Sakura before seating herself on one of the stone benches built into the large pool-sized tub. She chuckled. "This is lovely."

"Does it help? It should make your muscles feel better," Sakura said, also sitting.

Nina nodded, skimming her palm lightly over the surface of the water idly. "Yes. It does."

"Well, that's good." They fell silent for a bit, basking in the relaxing heat and the thin layer of steam, before Sakura finally rose and took a seat beside Nina. "Here. I'll do tonight's session while we're in here. That way we can be more comfortable than normal."

Nina smiled slightly. "Thank you," she murmured, leaning back against the rim of the tub as Sakura placed one hand on each of her shoulders. A moment passed before she spoke up again, voice as soft and smooth as normal. "Sakura-san, do you mind if I ask you a somewhat... personal question?"

Sakura frowned slightly, opening her eyes to see the hime peering curiously up at her. She debated it for a moment, and decided there was no harm. "I won't answer anything confidential, but go ahead," she agreed.

Nina flashed her another smile and closed her eyes. "You... Do you and... Itachi-san... Are you a couple, as Sai-san has stated?"

A scowl instantly jumped to Sakura's face but she quickly smoothed it and paused a beat to make sure she wouldn't sound as annoyed as she felt. "No," she replied slowly, carefully measuring her words. "We are not. Itachi-san is a friend, and the brother... The brother of the man that I once loved, but there is nothing like that between us."

Nina's eyes opened in surprise. "You loved his brother?" she asked, astonished.

Smiling sadly, Sakura dipped her head and let her bangs fall forward, shadowing her expression. "Yes, Nina-hime, I did."

"Is he...?" But Nina stopped, as if unsure whether to voice her question or not.

"He's a traitor," Sakura said after a long pause, in which she finished the healing and sat back, letting her hands sink into the water and into her lap. "Sasuke... he left. He became a missing nin."

Nina appeared positively heartbroken. "That must have been horrible for you to go through, having to watch him leave," she murmured sadly, placing a hesitant, gentle hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Did he ever... feel the same for you?"

Sakura sighed and pulled away, wading deeper into the pool. Finally, she shook her head. "No, he was too obsessed with his own agenda, and too blind to see that everything wasn't as black and white as he wanted to believe it was. He may have seen me, a girl with an obsessive crush on him, but he never knew that, despite his belief otherwise, someone did truly love him for him. And now he's gone, and I want nothing to do with him any longer." Sakura looked up, a shiny, plastic smile on her face. "What about you? Have you ever been in love?"

Nina blushed. "I'm unsure," she admitted. "I haven't had much outside contact; I was to be pampered and protected, but never lower myself to speak with others. I was a doll on display, nothing more."

Sakura felt a pang in her chest for the poor girl, but in the next moment, she forgot about it and their previous conversation. Spinning around, her hand began to glow with chakra and she made sure to put herself between Nina and whoever was hiding in the decorative bushes. "Who's there? Come out now!"

There was a brief pause before the person straightened, leaving Sakura speechless for all of ten seconds. And then, "ITACHI-SAN? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she screamed, satisfied when he winced faintly.

"There is no need for such volume," the Uchiha said, hand lifting and then dropping, as if he'd wanted to rub his ear but refrained. "I was merely-"

"You were peeking on the princess," she snapped, eyes narrowed. As her back was turned to Nina, she didn't notice the bright, embarrassed blush that covered the woman's face. Itachi frowned and opened his mouth, but Sakura was already speaking again. "I swear! What is it with male ninja? Must they ALL be freaking perverts? Do you have no sense of freaking decency, Uchiha-san?" she demanded harshly.

He flinched, just a little bit, at the reversion to his family name. "Sakura-san, I-"

"You what?" she demanded. "Do you have something to say for yourse-"

Itachi's eyes suddenly going Sharringan red instantly cut her off and she sucked in a shocked breath, eyes widening. Satisfied that she would cease from interrupting him, he let the Sharringan drain away and bowed deeply. "My conduct has been most inappropriate. I merely wished to see that your injury from before had been taken care of. I apologize, Sakura-san," he said, form tense.

Understanding dawned in her face and she slumped, looking slightly irritated. "You're forgiven," she muttered, then added sheepishly, "I'm sorry for freaking out like that..."

He nodded, not looking at them, and left. Sakura frowned. Dammit. She hadn't meant to upset him like that. Even if he had been peeking at them, good reason or not.

"... Sakura-san?" When Nina had the medic's attention, she asked bemusedly, "You're injured?"

Sakura huffed and shook her head. "No. I was before, and he asked about it, but I healed it right after that."

"Oh, I see..." Nina tilted her head curiously. "How did it happen?"

"I scratched myself on a tree-branch while I was bathing in a stream," Sakura said, embarrassed. "I slipped on a wet rock." She shook her head, scowling. "I was wondering why Sai was spinning tales to Shikamaru about it being... from a battle. He must have been teasing Itachi-san again." Damn Sai.

xXx

**Hope you like the update. I'll be gone for a while; be patient with me.**


	10. The Mission to Snow pt 4

**I Spy**

**Chapter 10**

**The Mission to Snow**

**Part 4**

**Akatsuki**

xXx

The sun was still rising when Sakura awoke. She rolled over, burying her face in her sleeping bag and pretending she was already home. It would be _so_ nice... However, she knew she needed to rouse herself, so with a sigh, she slowly sat up.

The sun here at the edges of Fire Country filtered down through the trees. They'd set up camp in a shallow clearing near a brook. The area had obviously been used for the very same thing multiple times before, despite the previous nins' effort to conceal their passing.

When she glanced around, Itachi was still asleep, Sai was gone and Shikamaru was stirring. The princess was snoring away in her bedroll, looking just as uncomfortable as she did every morning since they'd picked her up from Shadow country two days prior. Sighing, Sakura knelt beside the other female and began the healing.

xXx

"Are you certain there is nothing between you?" Nina asked Sakura suddenly.

It was later that morning and the two were braving the freezing waters of the brook in order to get clean before they arrived in Snow around midnight. Itachi had insisted they just run the rest of the way; he didn't want to be around Sai for any longer than absolutely necessary, and Sakura kind of shared the sentiment. Itachi, Sai and Shikamaru had all left to retrieve food for the group while Sakura was on princess duty- which only made sense, due to her gender and the activity.

The kunoichi gave her companion an exasperated look. "What? Seriously? I've already said that there's nothing!"

Nina gave an embarrassed smile. "So you did. I'm sorry. I just... there isn't much time left..."

Immediately, Sakura felt a tiny bit guilty. All Nina wanted to do was talk. Sighing, the kunoichi shrugged. "Well... It's fine, I guess. Sorry, I'm just tired of this already, you know? I want to go home and-" But the look on Nina's downcast face stopped her short. _Nina can't go home_. The thought stung. "Oooh, you know, I bet Itachi-san will be willing to carry you later tonight! Since you'll probably be tired by then."

Nina looked up, surprised. "Tonight? We're not sleeping?"

Sakura shook her head, tendrils of pink hair swaying. "No... I'm sorry. Itachi-san and Sai have been... uh..." She paused, then decided - on the off chance someone was stealthy enough to be listening without her knowing... like any of her teammates could be doing - not to finish that sentence and shrugged. "You know..." Nina nodded. "Well, 'cause of that, we want to finish this soon, and get you to safety."

Thin black brows pulled together in confusion, and maybe a bit of concern. "I am not safe with your team?"

"Oh, no, you are!" Sakura hastened to assure her, reeling. Damn! This girl... "But anything could happen, you know? We're erring on the side of caution, I suppose."

Nina nodded slowly. "I understand," she said, and turned away to pick up her soap.

Sakura also turned, though not completely away, and grabbed her shampoo. Man, she _hated_ bathing in rivers! It was such a pain, especially this close to Snow! The water was always so cold, and it made her toes feel numb, and then afterward, when they were warming up, they got so _sensitive_, and-

Nina's high-pitched scream of terror broke into her thoughts. Sakura whirled, automatically reaching for her kunai holster... Only it wasn't there. She was naked, and standing on the bank was a smirking black and red-cloaked criminal. He eyed her breasts.

Sakura saw red.

With a burst of chakra and a heave, she pulled a good-sized boulder - one that she'd been using to sit on when her feet got too cold - out of the river soil, lifted it above her head and threw it. It crashed into the guy with a satisfying multitude of crunches and came to a grinding stop.

Sakura dove for her pants. Where there was one Akatsuki, there was another; there was no telling how long she'd have 'till the next one showed up. She had just managed to drag on her pants when she heard a grunt and the sound of something heavy thumping to the ground.

Sure enough, when she turned around, kunai pouch in hand, the guy was getting back to his feet, cracking his neck back in place like- It clicked. "Hidan," she gasped. "Nina! Get over here!"

Shit, shit, shit, where were the others when she needed them!

Nina had been backing away slowly from him- not due to caution, but because she was too stiff to move much faster than that. At the sound of Sakura's voice though, she turned and stumbled through the icy waters to her protector's side. She was shivering and gibbering, and Sakura hissed for her to shut up. Nina couldn't do much else, so her mouth snapped shut. Sakura tossed her cloak over the girl, and withdrew a kunai from her pouch.

The guy was wiggling his fingers, each popping a few times before he'd focus on the next. Finally, he lowered his arm and leered. "Nice rack," he said.

Sakura almost heaved another rock at him. It might not _kill_ the bastard, but it sure as hell would _hurt_ like a fucking ton of bricks... well... that was the point, though. "Fuck off, asshole." There was _no way_ she could take this guy in this situation. _No fucking way_. But maybe she could hold him off until help came.

"I would _love_ to," he said suggestively. "But you know... _that fucking __**hurt**__!_"

xXx

Some time previously, on the outskirts of Konoha...

Naruto. Was. Pissed. The rumors had had _some_ basis in fact, in that Sasuke had been spotted in the town before.

But that had been _five. Years. Ago_. Not recently. So, either Tsunade was misinformed... or she'd lied. Now Naruto was angry, and feeling irrational.

So what does an angry and irrational boy do when he's mad at someone? Spite them.

He was going after Sakura.

xXx

Now...

Sakura darted to the side when Hidan leapt at her - across the damn river. Did the guy have no sense of self preservation? She lifted her hand, blocking his insane, unaimed strike and then grunting when his other hand - also containing a kunai - sliced at the flesh of her stomach.

Something brushed the bottom of her left breast, but she sucked in her tummy to avoid the blade and jerked backwards. She pulled back her fist, he looked at it, and she knocked him back across the river. This time with a broken nose.

"You BASTARD!" she shrieked, covering her breasts. "You felt me up!"

He rolled to his feet, coughing. "Damn, that's a mean right hook... Where the hell'd you learn that shit?" He popped his nose back into place, making a sound that closely resembled a whimper.

"From a really bad tempered medic nin," she retorted twisting around. She grabbed the closest tree within reach, dragging it from the soil.

"I see her right hook wasn't the only thing you got from her," he said, diving to the side this time, the tree crashing down where he'd stood. "You also got her temper!" He cackled, looking far more excited than he should have been. "Did you get her rack too? "

Sakura snarled. The only thing that kept her from dropping him into a rocky pit was that Nina might get pulled in too.… Oh, right. Nina.

Sakura dragged in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Now was not the time to lose her temper. She needed to disable him and get Nina away from there. Maybe she could pin him somewhere... Though, if his actions earlier were any indication, she wasn't the only one to enhance her strength with chakra.

She cast a quick glance toward Nina, and that was all he needed. He leaped right across the bank, tackling her to the ground. One hand was on her breast; the other, around her throat. Her kunai fell from her fingers from the impact, but she had no time to worry about it.

She had enough room in that split second to shift her leg _just_ so... and when they thudded to the ground, him on top, she jerked her knee upwards. Hidan went cross-eyed, a soft sound of pain slipping through his lips.

He didn't, however, loosen his grip. Which was bad. Very, very bad. As soon as he was able to manage the pain, which didn't take as long as she'd hope, his fingers tightened on her throat. "You," he panted, "are a _Bitch_. With a fucking capital _B_."

She sneered, but held as she was, she was literally under his mercy. Though... her hands were free.

And, with a chakra-enhanced shove, he was away and rolling across the ground. He rolled right out of it, inches from falling into the river. "Oh, c'mon, the mighty Haruno Sakura's being _gentle_! You've got better than that, right Bitch? Or do I gotta grope you again?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What."

"You heard me!" he crowed, and cackled. "Gimme some o' that sweet pain!"

"You're a lunatic," she retorted, but scooped her fallen kunai from the ground. Grinning, he pulled his staff from his back as she darted forward.

The staff swung, Sakura jumped and flipped backwards, barely avoiding its blades, landing in a cat-like crouch. The bottom of her foot stung, but she ignored it. She'd probably stepped on a rock. He flipped it and swung back towards her. She kicked off the ground with chakra as her aid and landed on the staff itself.

His eyes widened at the audacious move. "What the-"

Sakura grinned and darted along it to plant her heel against the top of his head. She swung her kunai down and into the base of his neck, severing the spinal column. Even though he was immortal, that would immobilize him for now.

"Nina!" she called, leaping off him. The force sent him sprawling on his face.

The princess started, staring at the kunoichi as she ran to her side. "S-Sakura-san?" she stammered. "Is it over? Is he..." She swallowed.

"No," Sakura replied. "Hurry. We have to leave-"

Manic cackling cut her off. It was hysterical, it was insane, it was annoyingly gleeful. "_Fuck_! That fucking _hurt_!" he laughed excitedly.

She turned around, staring in shock as he slowly got to his feet, body shaking with the force of his loony laughter. She shook her head, feeling the blood drain from her face. That should have stopped him! He shouldn't be able to move! Was he just not human?

He finally got to his feet, trying to keep his balance with some effort. His laughter wasn't helping. Then he lifted his staff, and blood dripped from the end. "Lookie what I got!" he cheered. "I've got-"

"RASENGAN!"

xXx

Meanwhile...

Shikamaru wasn't a very happy person right then. He'd been minding his own business, trying to out-hunt Itachi and Sai, looking for a deer. And he'd found one. It was a male too, and he usually felt bad about killing females, since they were kind of important and all.

He'd been _just_ about to kill the guy when, for absolutely no reason, a bird landed on the deer and exploded. A bird. A very _colorless_ bird, yes, but a bird nonetheless. So, of course, Shikamaru was then hungry, frustrated _and_ annoyed.

… Or something like that. It didn't help that he was covered in deer guts, of course.

"Hey, pineapple head!" A voice above shouted in greeting.

He looked up and twitched. He'd read files, and maybe seen pictures, but a combination of the physical description of the guy, combined with his unique style of attack made it easy for Shikamaru to identify him.

Deidara. What was it with blonds? Did they always have to be so... so, _flashy_? Was it some sort of cosmic requirement?

Shaking his head, the Jonin made a quick chakra scan, searching for the teammate. He was mildly surprised to find that said teammate had already engaged Sai not far from Shikamaru's location. There was also someone fighting Itachi further away and- and someone fighting Sakura (for some reason, she seemed pissed), but he couldn't figure out if the chakra signatures were familiar.

Why? Well, short, blond and girly was pelting him with tiny bird bombs. Oh the shame.

Shikamaru had to keep dodging, and as such, he needed to focus more on the matter at hand, trusting his teammates to take care of themselves. There was something a bit odd about this whole thing, though. What could they be after?

A larger explosion - barely missing him - brought his full attention back to the fight. Shikamaru threw a handful of shurriken at the blond, but Deidara simply took them out with a few more miniature birds.

Shikamaru darted up a tree, leaving a kunai about halfway up, stuck in the bark, and jumped to another tree. He had to dive from that one, because Deidara tossed another bomb at him. He scrambled along another one, throwing shurriken at the blond, and left another kunai.

Deidara didn't seem to notice what he was up to at first. In fact, he seemed to be just toying with him. Or... or buying time. Shikamaru grimaced, left a kunai in another tree and tossed a kunai at Deidara.

Deidara blew it up.

Shikamaru, clinging to a branch, stiffened when something landed on his arm. He turned his gaze, staring at the small, white butterfly clinging to the fabric of his sleeve. He gulped, calculating quickly.

Arm or plan? Arm or plan? Oh shit, it was too soon!

But Deidara was floating lower now, grinning. "Like her? She's gorgeous, ain't she?"

Shikamaru glared at him, then pulled a new kunai from his pouch with his free hand. He tossed it and another, in two different directions. One sailed for Deidara, the other for a tree. The butterfly exploded, and Shikamaru cried out in pain.

He tumbled from the tree, feeling like his arm was just sawed off. Well, it might even be gone... if he wasn't who he was. As it was, it'd take months for it to heal. Most of the limb was damaged, burned and bleeding, and a big portion of the muscle was gone. The bones were even shattered. He was never happier to be a good friend of Sakura's.

At any rate, this all passed through Shikamaru's head in the split second as he hung in the air about to fall. Then he plummeted, activating the tags on the kunai he'd planted. He landed on his back on the ground, drove one final kunai into the soil and lay there trying to catch his breath.

Deidara, however, was blown up. Or that's what it looked like. With a series of pops, a thin line of chakra ran from each kunai to the next one, and then finally to the one in the center, all the way on the ground. Then they connected across the circle, like lasers almost, cutting through anything they touched. Including Deidara.

Deidara, though, hadn't lived as long as he had by being stupid. He, in his own right, was a genius as well- albeit, a psychotic pyromaniac one. When he realized what was happening, he tossed a few birds up into the air with specific instructions. When the 'laser' like chakra passed through him, it only burned for a second before his birds blew up every kunai... aside from the one on the ground, though this was perhaps a bad thing. For Deidara.

This interrupted the flow of chakra, and didn't take Deidara out like Shikamaru had been hoping for. But oh well. He still had his kunai.

And Deidara was distracted saving his life.

xXx

And with Sai...

Sai was perhaps having a bit more trouble than his companions, in that his opponent didn't want to _stay. Still_. More than once, Sai had the urge to reach up and rub his eyes, or close one, because no matter what happened, his masked opponent didn't ever seem to actually be standing in the spot that Sai _saw_ him standing in.

The only time Sai got in a hit was when the guy got close and Sai sensed his proximity. Tobi hadn't done it again.

Sai had of course quickly reached the conclusion that this 'Tobi' person used genjutsu. Frequently. However, the Root nin never saw any sort of hand signs, and he couldn't tell if the guy was perhaps using an eye technique, so aside from bleeding himself out - which was out of the question - he had no way to combat the genjutsu.

He didn't even have a teammate with him to use their own chakra to cancel the effect. So Sai had to be _very_ cautious. Fortunately, Tobi didn't seem concerned with actually taking the fight seriously. He was just playing around.

A shiver travelled down Sai's spine at the thought of Tobi getting serious. Still, he needed to get to Sakura. She seemed to be having trouble with her own opponent but- oh, nevermind, there was dickless.

Sai perked a little at this, and offered his opponent a slight smile. "Wanna see a trick? I heard 'little boys' like those sorts of things."

Tobi shifted, tilting his head, and it was impossible to tell what his expression was due to the annoying mask. "A trick? Oooh, Tobi wants a trick!"

"Good," Sai said, lifting his hand. It was in a 'kai' seal. "Now that Sakura-san has assistance, I can stop worrying about hurrying this up."

Tobi stilled. "... What?"

And the ground opened up beneath him.

xXx

Hidan was attacked from behind, Rasengan tearing through him. He popped and turned into smoke.

"A shadow clone," Naruto growled, landing in the middle of the river. Then his eyes landed on Sakura. "Oh..."

Sakura was tempted to punch him. "You jerk! Focus on your fight!" she yelled at him.

"My fight? It's your fight!" he protested, eyes glued to her chest.

"I'm going to kill you!" she roared, and looked around wildly for her shirt. Nina had at some point fastened Sakura's cloak around her shoulders, so she didn't have that. So- ah! Sakura spotted the red garment across the river, near the remains of Nina's shampoo bottle. "My shirt! Gimme!"

Naruto didn't move.

She threw a rock at him. Luckily for him, it was a fist-sized rock, not a boulder. He toppled over into the water. He just as quickly got out of the water and grabbed her shirt. "Eeeh, sorry Sakura-chan," he said, red-faced.

She snatched it from him and wriggled into it. "Where is that dumbass?" she demanded, very pointedly changing the subject.

He shook his head and looked around while he climbed out of the freezing river. "I don't know... Why were you fighting him naked?"

She glared at him. "Not. Important."

Naruto gulped. "Right. Uhh..." He quickly set to looking around, searching for any sign of the Jashinist, but came up empty. "He's just... gone."

"That's... not good," Sakura said, feeling the color drain from her face.

Some ways away from them, Itachi, Sai and Shikamaru were fighting unknown opponents. And Itachi wasn't faring too well. His power spiked, and then floored. Sakura froze to the spot.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Nina's voice broke them from their stiff staring contest. Naruto shook himself out of it and gave Sakura a grim look. "C'mon. We have to see what's going on. There's no point waiting around for that loony dumbass."

xXx

There was a bomb half an inch from Shikamaru's nose, his arm was bleeding too much, and his opponent was about to win. Then something happened. Shikamaru couldn't sense Itachi anymore, though at the distance, it could just be that Itachi had been knocked unconscious.

Deidara was withdrawing. "Oh, looky! Kakuzu's all finished!"

Kakuzu? … That meant Hidan as well. Shikamaru felt a surge of fury roar through him before he remembered that Hidan was totalled, if not dead. He'd done it himself, but...

"We'll just be going now. Be a good boy and bleed out, un!" Deidara flipped him off and flew away. He was barely injured, since Shikamaru had been at such a disadvantage. Shikamaru was better at ground combat, but Deidara was a fighter better suited in the air.

Shikamaru stared at the bird and then allowed gravity to drag him from the tree branch, and none too soon. The bird exploded, shattering the upper half of the tree. Shikamaru landed and rolled, grimacing, as the debris rained to the forest floor. Then he lay there staring up at the sky. For whatever reason, Deidara was leaving him alive.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be coming back, because Shikamaru was in no position to fight.

xXx

Sai was beginning to realize how proficient Tobi was with ninjutsu as well as genjutsu. The masked man used clones more often than Sai could keep up. Was this guy running on unlimited chakra?

Sai's hand flickered over the scroll before him, sketching and then bringing to life five Chinese-style dragons. They roared and set upon his cloaked opponent, only to go right through him, prompting Sai to curse.

It was another damn clone.

"Ooh!" Tobi said suddenly, standing a good ten feet behind the clone. "Kakuzu-san's activated his trap! That means I don't get to play with you anymore... but Tobi will come back another day! Then it's twice the fun!" He giggled and vanished into the forest, just as Itachi's chakra plummeted.

Sai quickly rolled up his scroll and ink, put them away and darted after. He needed to find out what had just happened.

xXx

**Thanks a ton to azhwi for beta'ing this for me! I don't know what I'd do without you dear. Please be kind and leave a review! And thanks ever so much for reading.**


	11. Captured

**I Spy**

**Chapter 11**

**Captured**

Sai arrived on the scene first, and then Sakura - fully dressed, thankfully - and Naruto skidded into view, just as an unconscious Itachi was being heaved over a large male's shoulder. A sort of familiar male. Hidan's partner.

Hidan himself dropped from the trees to land beside Kakuzu, grinning. "Fuck yeah!" he cheered, watching the others arrive.

Naruto held Nina carefully, and set her down once he'd stopped moving. Sakura gasped, realizing who Kakuzu held. "Itachi-san!" she cried, taking a step forward.

"If you follow, we'll kill him," Kakuzu threatened, stalling her advance.

She hesitated. Sai had pulled out his scroll again, but he dove to the side as a bomb dropped out of the air and exploded, shattering several trees and scattering enough earth to cloud the area with dust. When it had settled, they were gone.

Sai was assessing the situation. "Where is Shikamaru-san? In the event that our captain is killed or unable to do his duty, captaincy falls to him."

Sakura longed to rescue her comrade, but he was alive, and _her_ duty was to see that her team was taken care of. "I sensed his chakra that way earlier," she said, pointing North.

"Dickless, you and I will walk Hime-sama to that location. Ugly, you go ahead," Sai said.

Sakura ignored the nicknames and obeyed without thought. She was glad she did. When she found Shikamaru, he lay in the middle of a battle-enlarged clearing, staring up at the clouds. He turned his head when she knelt next to him, hands already glowing.

"Hey," he said. "This really hurts."

"It looks like it," she replied, then looked away. "They took Itachi-san."

Shikamaru sighed. "I know." He hesitated, then made a decision. "We can't go after him. We have a priority, and it is Nina-san."

She closed her eyes, unable to answer, and focused instead on the chakra slowly rebuilding his muscles. She vaguely noted the others' arrival, and Naruto standing just behind her. "This will take a while to heal," she mumbled. "But I can do it now."

"How much chakra will it deplete?" That was Sai.

"... about a fourth," she replied after a beat, assessing.

There was no reply to that, so she focused. Carefully, she stalled the bleeding and rebuilt the essential muscles, then the skin. She was about to do the last fifteen minutes' work when someone shook her shoulder.

"Sakura-chan, did you hear him? That's enough. Don't waste anymore chakra."

Sakura reluctantly obliged, opening her eyes. Shikamaru offered her a grateful smile, then turned serious. "As I told Sakura-san, we have a priority. We _must_ take care of the mission first."

Naruto stiffened from where he crouched next to Sakura, but Sai spoke up. "I agree. The mission comes first."

"And what? Leave Itachi to die!" demanded Naruto angrily. "He's the best chance we have of finding Sasuke!"

"That doesn't _matter_ right now, Naruto!" Shikamaru retorted. "You're not even supposed to _be_ here? Do you know the fit the counsel will have when they find out how close you were to Akatsuki? If they weren't preoccupied with Itachi-san, I have no doubt they would have tried to take you!"

The blond flinched, and looked away. "It doesn't matter?" he asked, prompting Shikamaru to curse his bad choice of words. "Sasuke matters more than anything, right Sakura-chan?"

The medic started, and stared at her friend. "Well... I... he..."

"When did you stop caring?" the blond snarled, chakra stirring. "When you started your fucking dance with the devil?"

Sakura flinched. "Itachi-san's not-!" she began, but he cut her off.

"He doesn't matter, but he's our best chance of finding Sasuke, dammit! I'm not about to let him slip through my fingers!" The blond surged to his feet. "With or without you, I'm getting Itachi back!"

xXx

_He stepped into the confines of his own home. It was his last stop, his last few kills. His father stood waiting for him in the sitting room. His mother was nowhere in sight._

"_Itachi? You're uninjured," the man said, eyes sweeping over his son's body._

"_Of course," Itachi replied softly. His face was blank, and eyes devoid of any light or feeling. Even his chest felt numb. The scratch on the palm of his hand - a lucky shot - was barely stinging now. He would be able to completely ignore it in time._

_Fugaku's eyes rested on the only speck of blood that had touched his son's clothing. His lips thinned. "It's you."_

"_Yes." Itachi already held a cool black kunai. It was a special kunai, given to him by Fugaku himself, and made out of a type of metal that absorbed light rather than reflected it. It was made for stealth._

"_You are killing us." The accusation was said without feeling, but even so, there was a sense of disbelief to it._

_Itachi didn't bat an eyelash, and didn't twitch a muscle. "Yes."_

_Fugaku and Itachi locked gazes, and that was when Fugaku lost. Itachi jerked his arm back, catching __his mother in the stomach. She crumpled too._

_Now for Sasuke._

xXx

The Akatsuki stopped for a moment when they figured they were far enough away. Kakuzu dropped to the forest ground with Hidan, but Deidara and Tobi remained in the tree-tops.

"We're going on, un," Deidara declared. His hand idly brushed over his left hip, where his pouch of clay hung, as if subconsciously reassuring himself it was still there.. "Leader assigned us a secondary mission." Beside him, Tobi was sitting on a branch, kicking his feet and humming softly, tunelessly. Perhaps it was a good day.

Kakuzu shrugged. "Get lost," he replied, cast a glance toward Tobi, and darted forward again.

Hidan laid a false trail and then followed.

xXx

_Sasuke threw the doors open. Itachi stood in the shadows, unnoticed at first. Mikoto and Fugaku were dying in the middle of the floor. Nearly dead._

_A small miscalculation, one that would soon be corrected._

_Sasuke's eyes were wide, and he raised them to take in Itachi's shrouded profile. Itachi planned on turning and killing him, just like all the others. When his gaze slanted to the side, and took in that face, he froze for a beat._

_This was __**Sasuke**__. His little brother. His most __**treasured**_ _person. __**Sasuke**__. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill his little brother. So instead, he turned toward him._

xXx

Shikamaru swore when Naruto took off and scrambled for a plan. It came quickly enough. "Sakura, follow Naruto, keep him alive. Sai, you come with me. We'll be taking Nina to the village and return to back Sakura and Naruto up."

"With Nina-san slowing you down, it's a five hour trip," protested a worried Sakura.

Sai held a hand out to the princess, smiling his borrowed smile. "I'll have to carry her. Shikamaru-taicho, you are well enough to keep up?" he asked, fingers closing around the woman's.

Shikamaru nodded and gave Sakura a strained smile. "See if you can't slow him down, Sakura-san. If we hurry, we can halve our travel time, but that still means we will be gone for a while. Hopefully, the Akatsuki will try to outrun you both. At least until we get there."

"Or lure Naruto into a trap," the kunoichi replied uncharitably, and then sighed. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, and then rolled her shoulders to loosen them up. "Alright. Be careful, though."

"You too," the prodigy replied, climbing to his feet. "You gotta finish my arm tonight, eh?" He smiled at her.

She smiled back and went after Naruto.

xXx

_He stood outside the village, hours past and miles away. Finally, he'd been forced to stop, and now leaned over, emptying the contents of his stomach. His whole body shook. He'd killed his family, left Sasuke all alone._

_He'd __**killed**_ _okaasan! What had she ever done to him?_

_And Sasuke... what had he been thinking? What if Sasuke never came looking? What if he blocked it all out? Had Itachi been too rough? But no, Sasuke needed to be strong. He needed to be brave, and driven. He needed to come after Itachi, eventually, for what Itachi had done._

_Itachi had done the right thing..._

_But still, he was scared._

xXx

Naruto wasn't a great tracker, but he knew a few things from hanging around Kakashi over the years, and as such, when he finally found a trail, he was elated.

His feet carried him along beside the _very_ faint trail, and his nose picked up the fading scent of Hidan. He was getting close, but the scent was fading quickly, carried away by the wind. His speed increased the further along he went, desperation spurring him on.

_Sasuke... This is the best chance I've got to find you, and I'll do anything to __**keep**_ _it!_ Cerulean eyes narrowed. _So, even if it means saving the man you hate with every centimeter of your being, I'll do it, and I'll get you __**back**__._

And then the trail ended. The scent was gone as well. Naruto threw his head back and roared with his fury.

xXx

Sakura's eyes widened at the sound her friend had made. "Naruto?" He was starting to lose it! What on Earth was that man thinking? Why go so far? Just because of the reasons he'd stated? Then again, Naruto always _had_ lost his temper too easily when it came to Sasuke...

The kunoichi bit her lip, eyes narrowing in sadness. Sasuke... "We'll get you back," she mumbled, and hurried in the direction Naruto had gone.

xXx

Hidan snickered, glancing back over his shoulder. "Hear that? Fucking _music_."

"Tch." Kakuzu sped up his step. "He'll fucking eat you for breakfast," he retorted.

"Asswipe."

"If I wasn't holding a dead weight, I'd decapitate you for that."

Hidan sneered and matched Kakuzu's gait. "How far?"

"Two hours, by my reckoning, so hurry your ass up," Kakuzu growled. He cast a glance over his shoulder.

"He took the fucking fake trail," Hidan cackled gleefully, and then added, "Hey, if they catch up, can I fight Tits?"

The money monger snarled and would have thrown a kunai at the other male if they weren't busy with a damn mission. He made a mental note to do so later. "Shut up and hurry up, or I'll leave you behind for _Tits_ to grind your bones to dust."

Hidan's eyes narrowed. "She can do that?" No answer, and cherry eyes widened dramatically. "She can fucking _do_ that?"

Kakuzu carefully hid his smirk, amused at the zealot's panic. Heh. Payback was sweet. Speaking of payback, he got first dibs on any money Itachi was carrying...

xXx

Sakura caught up with Naruto after only a few minutes. He looked pissed, and was apparently trying to find the trail again. "Naruto!"

The blond whirled, took her in and smiled guiltily. "Sakura-chan! … I lost the trail."

She decked him. "You moron! It was fake! Pay attention, would you?" she railed on him.

"Sakura-chaaan," he whined, rubbing his head. "That hurt!"

"You big baby," she growled. "C'mon. We have to save Itachi-san, right?" She smiled at him and jerked her thumb to her left. "That way."

Blue eyes widened. "Wah, really?" He sniffed at the air, and pouted. "No scent, though..."

"Oh, stop paying attention to your nose and pay attention to your sense of chakra, moron," Sakura retorted, annoyed. "Their chakra - _and_ Itachi's - is heading in _that_ direction."

Naruto's brows furrowed, and he hemmed and hawed for a moment, before nodding. "Sakura-chan, you're right. C'mon! We've gotta get him back."

The kunoichi smiled and nodded. "Yeah!"

Naruto abruptly darted off in that direction, following his sense of chakra as Sakura had instructed, and she had to struggle to keep up. When had the blond gotten so _fast_? "Naruto, don't slow down on my account," she said half sarcastically, then added, "Just go! I'll catch up, okay?"

He cast her a worried look, nodded and darted off. _Damn_, but that boy was fast! Was it the Kyuubi's influence, she wondered. It must be. No normal human was so fast... She bit her lip as she realized that she'd directly disobeyed Shikamaru's orders. 'Slow him down'... But... _Sasuke-kun..._

And, on the tail end of that thought, _Itachi-san._

xXx

"Shit," Hidan swore, glancing over his shoulder. "Did the jinchurriki's speed just fucking double, or am I crazy?"

"Both," Kakuzu retorted. "C'mon. We don't have the time to waste on this potential battle. We have to lose him."

"Ain't gonna fucking happen," Hidan replied, bending slightly and dropping to the ground for speed. He was barely careful enough to not leave a trail, not that it mattered at this point. Uzumaki had their scent, figuratively, and wasn't about to give up.

Hidan had to admire his determination. Maybe he'd keep his head. For decoration... and _oooh_, he could put it over Deidara's bed in the nearest hide-out! Oohh, that pyro would be _pissed_, but it'd be _awesome_.

"Stop giggling and move your ass!" Kakuzu snapped, glaring daggers at his partner. What the hell was that zealot thinking about _now_?

"I ain't giggling, bitch!" Hidan retorted. "And didn't I _fucking_ tell you it ain't gonna-"

And a wordless scream announced their pursuer's arrival.

xXx

Sakura ducked underneath a branch leaning into her path, and grabbed it to toss herself forward. Naruto was so far ahead of her, it wasn't even funny. He had almost reached Itachi and the others, and here she was, slowly inching her way along. Well, that was a _slight_ exaggeration, but still!

Luckily, it seemed that two of the Akatsuki had split off from the others - to where, she didn't know, but neither were around - so she and Naruto would only be dealing with the two. And she planned on giving Hidan a story to tell...

Growling softly, she tried speeding up. It wasn't much. She was going as fast as she could. But she was getting closer. Naruto had reached the others, and she was maybe five minutes behind them... but... what was _that_?

xXx

**There you go, sorry it's so short, but I promise the next chapter will be back to usual length. It was important that I cut it off here... for cliffhanger purposes of course. XDD**

**R&R! Thanks very much for reading, and as always, thanks to azhwi for beta'ing this for me. I less than three you, az!**


	12. End of a Battle

**I Spy**

**Chapter 12**

**End of a Battle**

xXx

Naruto came at them with his signature Rasengan, fury making his eyes bleed red. Hidan hooted and turned, but then there was someone between them. Someone familiar.

The newcomer grabbed Naruto's wrist, stopping his attack, and buried his fist in the boy's stomach. For a moment, Naruto's mouth fell open and his eyes widened, and then he was falling back, Rasengan successfully diverted and dissipated.

The newcomer let the boy drop and turned, eyes on Hidan. The Jashinist took in his former comrade with wide eyes. Gone was the Akatsuki cape, replaced with a slightly worn and dirty brown jacket, and standard ninja garb. He looked like he'd lost a little weight recently, and gotten more lithe, his muscles more honed for survival than anything else.

"Ehh?" Hidan said, blinking. He wasn't sure how to take the man's interference. He was a deserter, right? He'd left Akatsuki, destroyed his damn ring. "What the hell're you doing here?"

"Fulfilling my purpose, dumbass," Hoshigaki Kisame retorted.

Kakuzu hissed. "He's rescuing Uchiha," he interpreted. "Hold them off, I'll go on ahead."

"Fuck you," was the response, even as Hidan pulled his staff off of his back with a manic grin. "This'll be fucking fun!"

And he and Kisame went at each other. Kakuzu didn't stick around to watch, ignored the gaping jinchurriki and darted away. He didn't get far. The female stood in his path about two minutes away from where Kisame and Hidan were now fighting explosively.

Dammit. "Out of my way, bitch," he growled, shifting the dead weight on his shoulder to free one hand. He slipped it into the pouch beside him and tossed a smoke bomb.

Only to get the smoke in his face with a burst of wind.

xXx

Tsunade sat in her chair in the counsel chambers, a sour look on her face. Before her, Danzo had figuratively taken the stage and basically decided for the counsel. "...is not right," he was saying, captivating his audience as only a grand performer could. She wanted to strangle him. "We should not let people - _things_ - like Uchiha Itachi into our village!

"What will other nukenin think when they hear we let a criminal into our village? They will think we are weak, and attack us, is what!" He gave Tsunade a grim look. "All on the counsel in favor of arresting and executing Uchiha Itachi upon his return?"

There was a brief, reluctant scattered reply, and at a look from Danzo, they all agreed. He met Tsunade's stare evenly. "Hokage-sama?" Though at this point, it would only be a formality for her to agree. She had no choice anymore.

So, with that thought, she gritted her teeth and got to her feet. "As I obviously can't change your mind, do as you wish. You will anyway," she growled angrily.

Only Shizune's presence beside her kept her from letting loose her temper, and it was probably better that way.

Danzo lifted his chin, then nodded. "As you say, Hokage-sama."

She spat and stomped from the room, vibrating with fury. "Shizune," she growled. "Find Hatake and Shiranui, and clear out one of the bigger training grounds."

Shizune's eyes widened as she hurried to keep up. "T-training grounds?" she stammered, clasping a book of some sort to her chest. "Tsunade-sama?"

"I need stress relief."

Shizune squeaked.

xXx

Naruto sat on his butt, staring in shock at the fight going on before him. Kisame had Samehada in hand and was swinging it to block Hidan's own strikes with his staff. He'd do this, then dart in under Hidan's guard and slam his bare fist into the zealot's ribcage.

For a moment, Naruto wondered why he didn't do something like kill the guy. Then he remembered that he couldn't, and the style made sense. … but the battle was going to be _really_ dragged out. Where was Shikamaru when you needed him?

More importantly... Why the _bloody hell_ was the _bad guy_ beating on _Naruto's opponent_? What was wrong with the universe!

Kisame knocked Hidan back - and through a tree - and glanced at Naruto. "Oi, what are you sitting around for? Get that damn Uchiha, wouldja?"

Naruto blinked a few more times, then shrugged and got to his feet, leaving Kisame to his battle.

The shark man shook his head. Kids these days... Then he focused on Hidan, who was climbing out of the tree and glaring at him. "What the fuck?"

"'What the fuck'," Kisame mimicked, making his voice high and whiney. "Geez, Hidan, you're such a little bitch."

"Fuck you," Hidan replied, flipping him off. He picked his staff up - he'd dropped it - and swung it out, then ran at Kisame again.

Kisame held up Samehada again, and was surprised when Hidan _dropped_ his staff, took out his over-sized kunai and slipped under Kisame's sword. He barely had time to get his wrist guard up before Hidan could get him. The Jashinist cursed and jumped away, and barely avoided being crushed by Samehada.

"Who's the bitch, bitch?" Hidan said, sneering. "Why the fuck're you helping them, huh?"

"Why the fuck do you care?" Kisame replied, swinging Samehada up to rest on his shoulder. "Shut the hell up and fight me, you whiney little boy."

Hidan scowled. "Man, don't make fucking _sense_," he snarled under his breath, going at Kisame again.

Kisame once again barely avoided getting nicked by Hidan. There was no room for mistakes with this bastard; if he got even a drop of blood, Kisame was done for. A down swing of Samehada cleared Kisame's path, and he mentally grumbled at his inability to _kill_ the albino. But still, he didn't need to kill him, just stall him long enough for the Konoha brats to get back Itachi...

If they were strong enough.

xXx

Sakura darted to the side to avoid a handful of mini bombs the nukenin sent at her, aggravated. They'd been doing this since the fight began, and she couldn't even return fire since he refused to set Itachi down. It was smart, she had to admit. Very smart. He'd be pulverized right now if he had.

Essentially, they were at an impasse. She wouldn't let him by to escape, and he wouldn't set Itachi down so she could fight him without worrying about the Uchiha. And the deadlock was starting to royally piss her off. "FIGHT ME LIKE A _MAN_!" she shouted, tossing a kunai at him.

He caught it half an inch from his face and sent it back, knowing she wouldn't send a rigged kunai because of Itachi. "But this is so much simpler," he drawled. "You won't use the big attacks because Konoha nin have a habit of being stupid and sentimental. It's only a matter of time before I find a way to kill you and leave."

The kunoichi growled, grabbing a handful of shurriken from her hip pouch. "Yeah? Sasori said the same thing."

His eyes narrowed. "Ah, then _you_ are the kunoichi Deidara spoke of," he commented thoughtfully. "That changes things a bit." He tossed Itachi to the side, uncaring, and pulled a kunai from his belt.

The unconscious Uchiha slammed into a tree and Sakura grimaced. She would have gone to him, but frankly, the current threat warranted more immediate attention. "Oh? Getting serious now, are you?" she asked, rolling her shoulders. "Good. That means I can kill you without feeling any guilt."

He sneered and darted forward without reply. She jumped back to avoid the kunai and landed heavily, feet enhanced with chakra. The ground cracked and split, and the nukenin was forced to avoid the rapidly widening crevice. Sakura smiled and used the half-assed distraction to dart after him, pulling her own kunai out.

She sent chakra along the length of the blade and swung downward upon reaching her opponent. Predictably, he parried the blow with his larger kunai, creating sparks as the blades met. They jumped apart.

"Sakura-chan!" a voice cried.

She landed lightly on a treebranch. "Stay back, Naruto!" she retorted, feeling ironic. "Check on Itachi-san!"

Kakuzu darted along his own treebranch, horizontally, and lunged the ten feet of air separating them. She let gravity take hold, and he missed, landing on the branch she'd been clinging upside down to. She tucked her body into a roll and then landed on her feet on the forest floor. Then, tossing a grin his way, she braced herself and started pulling the tree he stood in out of the ground.

Kakuzu cursed and dove out of it, landing only to have to dive flat on the ground as she swung it through the space he'd just been standing. A few random branches scraped against his back ineffectually before the tree had passed and was tossed aside. He got back onto his feet, giving her a wary look.

The bitch was strong. Not that it _mattered_.

"No way, Sakura-chan! Let me fight him! _You're_ the medic!" the blond shouted, clearly pissed off at having to watch the kunoichi fight.

"STOP WHINING," the pink-haired medic shouted back at the blond.

Kakuzu smirked. That sounded familiar. Then he frowned, deciding he should finally acknowledge the blond. "Where is Hidan?" Not dead, of course. That was impossible; Kakuzu knew from experience.

The blond blinked at him. "Who?"

Kakuzu twitched. "My partner. The idiot masochist."

"Masochist?" Naruto shrugged. "Uh... He's fighting Kisame? Though I don't know what a masochist is."

Sakura gaped at him. "What? And you just left them to it!"

"He _wanted_ to fight him, Sakura-chan!" Naruto protested, pouting. "I figured you could probably use my help-"

"Naruto, remind me when we're done to bury you _alive_," she growled.

Kakuzu sighed, badly wanting an aspirin. He darted at the kunoichi, ignoring the jinchurriki's scream for her to look out, and was predictably dodged. The woman wasn't that bad. Not that it'd save her.

He pulled off his cloak and hunched over, the masks on his back struggling to get free. Sakura stiffened in surprise as she watched, and Naruto took a step forward only to stop, uncertain. Sakura took a breath and chanced a glance toward her teammate and Itachi. She scowled. "Did you check on him?"

"But Sakura-chan-"

"Do it! That's an order from your medic!" she yelled. A sudden swell of chakra brought her attention back to Kakuzu, and she gaped at the four shadow-like creatures surrounding him.

His eyes were trained on her face. "It's your turn to die, bitch," he said. To his left, one of the creatures - wearing a white mask with a yellow nose - started to accumulate electricity. "Raiton: Gian!" he cried.

Sakura cringed. There was a blast, but nothing happened to her. When she opened her eyes, she found Naruto crouched in front of her, literally smoking. "Sakura-chan, you should make sure Itachi's okay," he grunted, stumbling to his feet.

"Impressive," Kakuzu murmured. "You took that blast full on and still live. I will not make the same mistake twice."

Sakura hesitated, then nodded, knowing he was right. "Okay!" she said and went to Itachi's side as Naruto swayed on his feet. She glanced over her shoulder at the blond, frowning, but he was already regaining his equilibrium. The only thing she was worried about was how totally pissed off he was.

Still, she had a job to do, and now that she'd had a chance to get out of the direct fight, she was going to do it. The kunoichi knelt beside Itachi's prone body, crumpled at the base of a tree. She checked his pulse, ignoring another blast in the background. After a brief count, she was relieved that his pulse was normal, albeit slow.

Five minutes later, she'd determined that he had three or four cracked ribs on the left, a broken collarbone, left wrist, right fibula, right tibia and shattered left humerus. And, judging by the blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth, something inside had been punctured. She glanced back at the fight, noted that Naruto was pummelling one of those shadow body things and seemed to be holding his own, then went back to work.

She checked his system for toxins and wasn't surprised to find a non-fatal poison running through his body. She focused on his organs and found that one of the _four_ ribs that had been broken had actually pulled away from the rest and punctured his left lung. Oh boy.

She started the healing on that first, as it _was_ fatal. The mending seemed to take hours but actually took closer to five minutes. The bone was whole again and in it's proper place and the lung was healed. Itachi was breathing easier, his face less tight.

She ran the back of her wrist over her forehead, then flicked the transferred sweat away and checked on Naruto's fight again. The blond had destroyed one of the four creatures and was successfully keeping them away from Sakura. Should she help him? Itachi would live, now that the lung was taken care of...

There was also the matter of the Kyuubi. Naruto was pretty pissed off, and had already been consumed by the Kyuubi's acidic chakra. He was starting to develop the second tail... She swallowed. "Naruto! He'll live, but we've got to go!" she called worriedly.

He flicked a red-eyed glare at her before ignoring her completely and lunging at another of Kakuzu's creatures. Damn. How long had they been fighting? More importantly, how much longer would it be until the others returned?

Well, the trip would take about five hours, three and a half if they rushed... Her brow furrowed. It felt like it had been close to one, maybe two hours, but... the others wouldn't be back until long after the fight was over. Her decision made, Sakura climbed to her feet.

Kakuzu and Naruto looked over as a tree suddenly smashed one of the shadow creatures. Kakuzu swore. Hidan was getting tired, fighting Kisame. These people seemed to have too much energy... He growled and darted backward, calling his hearts back to him.

The blond took a step, grinning. "Running away?" he growled, red eyes burning. "Coward!"

"It's a tactical retreat, idiot," Kakuzu snapped. "Besides, Uchiha isn't important enough to waste anymore energy on." Honestly, he wasn't even getting paid that much for this shit.

Naruto growled and rushed him, cutting through him like butter. And when the clone dissolved into dirt, he roared.

xXx

"Whoops! Guess that's my cue, you bitch!" Hidan said. "And this shit was just gettin' fun! Man, that bitch is gonna pay for this!" He grinned, though, and escaped.

Kisame scowled and darted in the direction Naruto had gone. He came upon the clearing to find the boy kneeling in a crater and the girl checking over Itachi's injuries. Kisame circled the boy and was surprised to find a sutra on his face. He was literally asleep where he knelt. "What happened?"

The kunoichi looked up from Itachi. "I had to put on the sutra. He was losing control. He's sleeping. Why are you here?"

He met her gaze, even more surprised to find her face blank and her eyes unreadable. It was almost professional, something he'd never expected from a Konoha nin, Itachi notwithstanding. "I had to return a favor," he replied vaguely. "Will he live?"

Her brow lifted in a way that was reminiscent of Itachi, and Kisame wondered just how much time they spent together. "Yes," she said. "Of course."

He believed the matter-of-fact-as-if-anything-else-could-be-so tone she used. She was, after all, Tsunade-hime's apprentice. "Good. I guess I'll be going then."

"Wait!" She hesitated, then sighed. "At least stay until our backup comes? Naruto is unconscious, Itachi's half-dead and my chakra is severely depleted. You're the only chance we've got till then, if they decide to return."

"They won't," Kisame said, but sat on a half-shattered, fallen tree trunk anyway. He opened the pack he'd been carrying and pulled out a couple of granola bars, tossing one to her. "You'll need it."

She sighed. "Yeah. I need _all_ of my stuff. If Naruto was awake, I'd send him back to get it," she grumbled. "That stupid immortal guy came at me while I was taking a bath, so I literally have _none_ of my shit." She made a face.

Kisame chuckled. "You'll get your things back later. For now, just eat and concentrate on healing him." He paused a beat. "What's damaged?"

"Left arm, right leg, collarbone and a few ribs," she recited, voice becoming mechanical. "He had a punctured lung, but I took care of that right off." She nibbled on the granola bar distractedly, eying Itachi like she were trying to make him wake up. "That Kakuzu guy threw him, and a tree stopped his momentum. He must have hit it on the left side, then fallen and landed on his right leg."

Kisame winced. "That'll sting."

She actually laughed at that. "Yeah. A little," she said, clearly exaggerating. She popped the last bite of the bar into her mouth and then shifted over to Itachi. She frowned. "Can you help me lay him out?"

"Not strong enough?" he teased as he got up.

Pinkey gave him an annoyed look. "I have to be careful. I don't want to break anything else on him."

"Alright, alright, what do you need me to do?"

xXx

Shikamaru and Sai landed in the clearing several hours later to find Naruto nursing a bump on his head, Sakura sulking and Itachi propped up against a tree as he slept. Shikamaru was relieved to know that they were okay. "How is he?" he asked.

"First," Sakura said, getting to her feet and stomping over to Sai. "You! Go get my stuff!"

He blinked a few times. "Okay..."

"Go! I have _no_ patience mister, so get going! It's back at the old campsite, mostly by the river. And hurry! It's almost dark," she said.

Sai sighed but didn't argue. Instead, he turned and left. Sakura turned toward Shikamaru. "He's fine. He'll live. I've healed all the ribs and the collarbone, and removed the poison, but I don't have enough chakra to deal with his leg or his arm. He'll have to wait for that."

Shikamaru nodded. "Fair enough. Has he been conscious at any point?"

"No," she said. "It's just as well. It's going to hurt like a bitch when he wakes up."

The prodigy smiled slightly and took a seat next to Naruto by the fire. "What about you two?"

"We fought them off. Apparently, Kakuzu didn't feel the need to waste a lot of energy fighting us, so they just left," Sakura said.

"Ah." He eyed the two. "Naruto, are you up to first watch?" he asked.

The unusually quiet blond nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Shikamaru decided to ask later. His arm was aching, and they could all use some rest. "Wake Sai at about ten," he instructed, laying down right where he was sitting. He didn't bother with the bedroll in his pack. He didn't think any of them would.

"Okay," Naruto said.

Sakura sighed and curled up near Itachi, should he wake up, even as Sai returned to the camp.

The team settled down after a long day.

xXx

It took the group a day and a half to return to Konoha, and only that long because Sakura made them stop for more than the three times it took a day to eat, due to Itachi's injuries. None of them were very surprised at the welcoming party awaiting their arrival at the front gates.

Most were ANBU Root, though there were a couple of council members and their supporters. Itachi, supported by Sakura and Shikamaru on either side, remained expressionless when Danzo stepped forward.

"Uchiha Itachi, you are under the arrest for the murder of your clan," the man said.

The Uchiha was tempted to point out that it was this very man that had ordered his hand. But he didn't. Danzo had told him then what would happen should he live. He already knew his fate.

"What!" Naruto shouted at the Uchiha's right, startling him. "What the hell're you talking about, you old coot!"

Sai frowned and touched his shoulder. "Naruto..."

"Shut up!" Naruto snapped, shrugging off the other nin's hand. "This man's looney! Where the hell is Tsunade-baasan!"

Itachi searched the crowd and found that she wasn't there. Which probably meant that she'd been overruled and was silently protesting by refusing to be present.

Naruto took a step, growling. "Well? I asked you a question, you old fart! You'd better answer it!"

"Naruto-san, enough," Itachi inserted quietly.

The blond stopped and turned to face him, frowning. "But Itachi! You know what they'll do!" he protested.

Itachi nodded slowly and shifted his arm off of Shikamaru's shoulders. "I am aware. They are aiming for my immediate execution, no doubt."

Danzo didn't appear to be surprised by Itachi's accurate deduction. "You will come with us willingly, or we will bring you by force," he said sternly.

Naruto whirled, mouth opening. "_Naruto_," Itachi hissed. "This is an order as your _captain_. _Stand. Down._" The blond's mouth snapped shut. Itachi was grateful to Sakura, whom was bearing most of his weight right then. She squeezed his shoulder gently and helped him stand straight. "Thank you," he whispered.

She nodded, and eyed Danzo with an expressionless calm. "You are arresting him. Do you plan on execution?"

"Yes," Danzo said, meeting her gaze evenly. "Uchiha Itachi will be executed at dawn for the crimes of his past."

"As his medic and second-in-rank medic of the village, I am pulling rank. I will have all of his injuries healed before you kill him," Sakura said.

"Only the Hokage can do that," Danzo said, frowning.

"Stop me," she replied, a dare. Itachi really hoped the man took her up on it.

Unfortunately, Danzo was smarter than that, and nodded. "Very well. You may work on him until morning. He must be healed by then, or I am afraid your conditions cannot be met, Haruno Sakura-san."

Her lips pressed thinly together kept her from answering, so Itachi did so for her. "Very well."

As most of the ANBU dispersed, save five to escort them, the other bystanders left, and Shikamaru turned to grab Itachi's shoulder. "You're just going to let them." It wasn't a question.

"I killed my family," Itachi replied, meeting his roommate's gaze. "What choice do I have?"

"I thought you were pardoned!" Naruto protested, looking helpless.

Itachi took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought so as well. I suppose the council decided it was within the village's best interests to rescind the order."

Sakura frowned as they began to slowly walk into the village. "Shikamaru?"

"I'll speak with the Hokage," he replied, and patted Itachi's shoulder. "Be safe until I get back. Naruto? You'll come with me."

Naruto hesitated, but nodded and followed Shikamaru away. Sai stepped up beside Itachi and took Shikamaru's place helping him limp down the road. "This is... unusual," he murmured.

Itachi smiled faintly, understanding that it bothered the Root boy. They were nearing the ninja barracks and, by proxy, the detention cells. "Aa. We shall see the outcome," he replied vaguely.

Sakura sighed. "I hope..." But she stopped and didn't continue. Maybe she couldn't.

Itachi's gaze slid to take in her face, and he smiled slightly. "Me too," he said.

xXx

**Please review! I hope you like. ^^**


	13. Memento Mori

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 13**  
**Memento Mori - (Remember Your Mortality)**  
**A/N: A little late (like several days), but happy belated birthday Itachi! Even though I've updated since then.**

Tsunade wasn't entirely surprised when Shizune told her that Shikamaru had requested a meeting with her mere minutes after he'd returned to the village. Which meant, true to his promise, Danzo had arrested Itachi as soon as he stepped foot inside Konoha's walls.

Gold eyes lifted and met grey when the prodigy strategist walked into her office. She frowned and sat back, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "Shikamaru."

He bowed, eyes narrowed and expression bordering on annoyed. "Hokage-sama."

"You're here about Itachi?" she asked, even though she already knew.

Shikamaru nodded as Naruto walked in behind him. Unsurprisingly, as soon as the blond caught sight of her, he opened his mouth. "Tsunade-baabaa!" he said loudly. "How could you let them do that? Itachi was _pardoned_, right? That's no fair!"

"Naruto!" she snapped, scowling. "Shut up! Life _isn't_ fair, brat, get used to it! There's nothing I can do; it's out of my hands."

"There's nothing?" Shikamaru asked, frowning.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. "No. Nothing." She rubbed the side of her jaw and looked away irritably. "In cases where the council unanimously believes a decision of mine endangers the village as a whole, they can over-rule my order and take appropriate action to correct matters. In this instance, that means that they have arrested the threat - Uchiha Itachi - and set him for execution immediately. The only thing holding them back is paperwork and the appropriate religious hours for Itachi to pray for his soul, should he so desire."

Naruto's fingers curled into fists so tight that his knuckles were leeched of color, and his face flushed red. "So you'll do _nothing_? Itachi is the best chance we have at getting Sasuke back, and you're going to let those people _kill_ him?"

"I can't solve the problem _now_," Tsunade retorted. "It's too late for Itachi, Naruto! I'm already doing all that I can. If I let this happen, I will have justified cause for disbanding the council, and we can prevent this from happening to someone else. But to do that, I have to give this battle up."

"At the cost of a man's _life_?" the boy demanded, starting to shake. "How could you be so cold, Baasan!"

She stiffened, lips pressing together in a thin, furious line. "Being a shinobi," she said after several quiet moments, "sometimes means making sacrifices that you would otherwise rather not make. Being Hokage means that to protect your people, your soldiers, sometimes you must let others die for the greater cause. _You_ want to be Hokage, Naruto. You should learn this."

He spat on the floor, shaking with rage. "I don't want to be that kind of Hokage. I don't want to be like _you_," he snarled venomously, eyes red and canines glinting. "I'll change the rules, baasan. I won't make your mistakes." He turned on his heel and stormed out, the Kyuubi's chakra slowly fading with his departure.

Tsunade watched him go grimly, then met the gaze that hadn't once left her face. "We need to discuss arrangements," Tsunade said finally.

Shikamaru stared at her for a beat, then sighed and sat down. "Troublesome," he muttered.

xXx

Naruto stared out at the village, silently stewing, from his vantage point atop the Yondaime's carved stone head. The more he thought about it, the more pissed off he got. How could Tsunade just sit by and watch Itachi die? What was she thinking? He'd believed in her, believed that she was the kind of Hokage that he wanted to be.

Groaning and hunching over, he grabbed the sides of his head and squeezed his eyes shut. How could he be so _stupid_? Then he straightened, arms dropping to his sides, and let loose a roar for the sky. Something fell on his forehead and he opened his eyes.

Another. A raindrop, and angry clouds darkened the sky. It started to rain.

He stared up at the sky for a beat, eyes blinking rapidly as raindrops washed through them. He did not cry, but thought instead. Maybe things weren't what they seemed? Maybe... maybe Tsunade was counting on him to get angry. Maybe she was counting on him to...

He let his head drop back into place. "She's counting on me to save him," he realized, voice soft. His fists tightened, then relaxed, and blood dripped from several crescent moon-shaped cuts, already healing to create scars and then vanish again. He had to save Itachi.

xXx

Kakashi sat in a tree, overlooking the gates of Konoha. He was one of nearly twenty ANBU officers stationed around the hidden village, and for good reason. They would likely be on high alert like this for a while.

His gaze trailed toward the village in question, and he sighed. He'd heard through the grapevine that Naruto had _not_ been happy, not that Kakashi had expected him to be. Even if the jinchurriki hadn't yet begun to trust Itachi, he saw a purpose in Itachi's existence here in their village. Mainly, Sasuke's return.

Which, ironically, was the reason for the high alert through out the village. If there was one thing that absolutely terrified Danzo, it was the thought that Sasuke would come a-calling, team up with his brother and wreak havoc.

Kakashi smiled mirthlessly. It was a very reasonable worry.

At any rate, now Kakashi was stuck here instead of looking after his former student. Searching for his other former student. Waiting. Watching.

It was going to be a long night.

xXx

Naruto checked his kunai holster for what felt the third time as true darkness set in. To be honest, he'd tried to act as normal as possible all day, but he was nervous all the same. No, not nervous exactly. Keyed up, more like. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, preparing him for battle.

He swallowed, patted his sides, and then stood from the bed. For a moment, he hesitated. These people... who knew. They could be his friends. But... He shook his head. That didn't matter right now. They were standing between him and saving the life of Itachi. He wouldn't kill them, just knock them out. That should work.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto stepped over to his front door and pulled it open. He nearly jumped out of his skin. "I-IRUKA-SENSEI!" he yelped.

Iruka scowled at him. "Just where are you going, Naruto?" he demanded, crossing his arms. "You're not planning something stupid, are you?"

Naruto stiffened. "W-why would I be planning anything?" he asked.

"Come now, Naruto," Iruka said, and sighed. "I know you. I've known you since you barely reached my knee. Don't treat me like I was born yesterday."

The blond's hands curled into fists, relaxed and curled again. He took a deep breath and let it out, dropping all pretense of innocence. "I have to save him, Iruka-sensei," he said. "I can't let them kill him. Tsunade-baasan's counting on me to save him!"

"Tsunad- Naruto, what the hell are you _talking_ about?" Iruka snapped in exasperation. "Who do you think sent me here to make sure you _didn't_ overreact?"

Naruto felt something inside him freeze. "What?" he breathed. He shook his head. "No! She's counting on me to save him!"

Iruka's gaze softened. "No she isn't, Naruto," he said gently, reaching out to touch the blond's arm. Naruto jerked away and so Iruka let his hand drop. "She already explained it to you, didn't she? This... it's sad, Naruto, but... there's nothing that can be done for Uchiha-san now." He bit his lip, searching Naruto's face for _something_, but Naruto didn't know or care what.

"NO!" he roared. "I WILL **NOT** LET HIM DIE!" He shoved Iruka out of his way, only to spot Jiraiya standing in the street, just waiting for him. Their eyes met, and the blond backed away.

He spun around to go back through the apartment, fury burning the ice inside him. And standing in his way was Yamato, fingers crossed in a semi-familiar seal. And before he knew what was happening, he was encased in a tomb. It felt like a tomb, and he couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

He shrieked his fury and thrashed, trying to escape, trying to claw his way from his wooden prison to no avail. Unyielding beams trapped his arms in place, wrapped around his legs, encased his body. Only his chest, and his face were visible. He gazed at Yamato, Iruka and Jiraiya with ruby-tinged hatred, baring teeth that could rend their flesh to pieces if only they'd come close enough.

"Sorry, Naruto," Jiraiya said, frowning at him. His open palm slapped against the blond's chest, knocking the breath from his lungs. The fury slipped away, leaving him with just the ice, just the cage, just the darkness.

He knew no more.

xXx

Kisame sat down at the bar of a seedy little inn smack dab in the middle of a seedy little village that may or may not have once been a military barracks. But now it was just a place where people gambled away their futures, traded money for pleasure and in general caused minor spots of chaos in the lives of anyone passing through.

Naturally, Kisame wasn't effected.

The bartender eyed him from ten feet away, then ventured closer. Not too close, though. The man wasn't stupid. "What can I get you?"

Kisame propped his head on his fist and eyed the man. "Something with meat on it's bones, preferably. And a whiskey."

The bartender snorted. "Red, yellow, black or brown? And how do you like your whiskey?"

"Purple, and you know very well how I like my whiskey, Kenichiiro," Kisame muttered, annoyed.

Kenichiiro, known by most just as 'Ken', sighed. "Had to make sure. I'll call her over and get your whiskey, Kisame-sama," he said.

Kisame didn't bother watching as the man walked away and whispered in the ear of someone on the other side of the bar. The man returned a moment later with Kisame's whiskey, then left him alone.

Kisame downed the drink as more of a formality than any actual desire to drink anything at the moment. Mostly, he was just looking for any information on Itachi, since he didn't know if the Uchiha had gotten home alright.

But Kenichiiro's rules were law in this place, and if you didn't order - and _consume_ - at least one thing, you couldn't be in the building.

Someone sat on the bench beside him. "Kisame-sama," a soft voice whispered, and she leaned into his personal space to kiss his cheek. "It's been so _long_." Soft, full lips pouted dejectedly, then pulled up into a smile. "I'd thought you went and forgot me."

"Never you, Asuka," he replied, smirking at her. "How could anyone forget _you_?"

Asuka - tall, pale, ample bosomed, green eyed and with purple hair that cascaded down her shoulders - giggled. "You're too kind, Kisame-sama."

"Maybe," he drawled. He reached out and tucked some chin-length bangs behind her ear in a parody of tenderness. "Do you have any news for me?"

She leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering closed. "Depends on what kind of news you're looking for."

"My partner."

"Aa." She opened her eyes, peering at him with a sultry smile. "He's in Konoha these days, I hear."

He cupped the side of her neck, thumb gently running over her pulse. "Yeah. Anything recent, sweety? I know he's in Konoha."

She swallowed, and despite the bedroom glazed eyes and sensual smile, it was a cue. The news she had wasn't good. His eyes narrowed, but she drew a breath through slightly parted lips. "Word on the street is that Uchiha Itachi is being executed in the morning. For treason."

It took a lot of effort not to accidentally break her neck. Instead, he forced himself into a calm state and continued to gently rub her pulse. "Really? How sure is your source?"

"There's no doubt," was the only assurance she gave, but she'd never let him down before. Itachi was going to die, and he was too far away to make any difference.

He pulled his hand back and threw a few bills onto the counter. "Have a drink on me, sweety," he said, getting up. He picked up Samehada from where he'd leaned it against the bar and fastened it to his back, then gave a wave and walked out of the bar. Hopefully, there were trees nearby that he could decimate.

_Idiot._

xXx

The sun was just peeking above the horizon - visible through the barred window of Itachi's cell - when they heard the first sounds in hours. Sakura shot to her feet and Sai stiffened. Itachi didn't move, and was honestly worried that he wouldn't be able to stand either.

There had been no word, except once, when Shikamaru came and told them that the execution could not be stopped. The prodigy hadn't stuck around long, likely because of the awkward atmosphere, and had disappeared with the excuse of 'ironing out details for missions'.

Now, they could only watch helplessly as a stream of guards filed into the passage outside Itachi's cell. Silence descended and Danzo stared down at the Uchiha with an air of smug victory.

He squared his jaw. "Uchiha Itachi, it is time."

Sai shifted, brow furrowing slightly. "... Danzo-sama... is this... necessary?" he asked softly.

"Do not question your orders," Danzo replied, turning a one-eyed glare on the Root nin.

Sai looked down and fell silent, and Sakura knew better than to try. If Shisho hadn't come up with anything by now, then there was truly nothing that could be done. She drew a shaky breath, feeling hopelessness well up inside her. Her heart constricted as she turned to look Itachi in the eye.

The Uchiha had somehow managed to get silently to his feet and now returned her stare. Then he looked away, meeting Danzo's gaze. "One last thing," he said after a beat.

"Within reason," Danzo allowed grudgingly.

"I do not wish for Sakura-san to witness this. She is not to be allowed to accompany us," Itachi said, refusing to meet her eyes. Danzo's only response was a reluctant nod, likely due to his annoyance with granting _any_ wish of Itachi's.

Tears fell from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks. "What?" she whispered, voice watery. She reached out to grab his sleeve through the cage, even as a soldier flipped through a ring of keys. "But Itachi! You don't... you don't have to... go through this... alone," she said, words broken by soft sobs. "Please!"

He met her gaze expressionlessly and sighed. The door swung open and he stepped out, lifting one shackled hand to wipe away her tears. "I must pay the price for what I have done. That does not mean that you have to pay it with me, Sakura-san." He pulled his hand back and lifted the necklace from around his neck, slipping it over her head and letting it fall into place around her's.

She hiccuped, shaking with the effort to suppress her tears. "Please, Itachi, no..."

He stepped away. "Good bye, Sakura-san."

Two Root ANBU took his elbows and lead him away, leaving Sai and Sakura behind to watch them go. She reached up, clasping the still warm metal of the necklace, and cried.

xXx

He was brought down to an underground execution chamber in the depths of Root territory. Silence reigned, suffocating him. His heart hammered in his chest, and although he felt naked without his necklace, he was glad he'd given it to Sakura. It was the least he could do for her, after she risked her life to save him.

It was probably the biggest regret he had, leaving her like that. She had become... special. A friend. Perhaps she was even as dear to him as Sasuke was. Perhaps he should have left her more... But no. He had left her enough. He'd seen to that.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the cell and sat where directed, in a chair. Two ANBU Root held him in place while another strapped him there, as if he'd suddenly decide he wanted to escape.

"Any last words, Uchiha Itachi?" Danzo asked as a Root medic stepped forward with a syringe and needle.

Itachi thought about it for a moment, then shook his head and closed his eyes. "I am ready," he whispered.

The needle pierced his skin, and he felt the poison pool inside his veins, burning him alive from the inside out. His fingers clasped at the wooden arms of the chair and he jerked. He gritted his teeth, eyes clenched shut, as the pain ripped through him.

The last sound Uchiha Itachi made in this room full of nin and enemies was a sigh. And then he was still.

Danzo turned toward the shadows, frowning. "Tsunade-hime. I thought you wouldn't come." Tsunade's stare was angry and accusing, but he didn't care about her feelings. "It is done."

She returned his scowl. "_You're_ done, Danzo." She tossed him a scroll and he caught it one-handed. "As of this moment, the council of Konoha is disbanded, as signed by myself and my supporters, witnessed, and guarded."

Behind her, Shikamaru and Shizune stepped up to her sides. Around the room, several others stepped into the light. Jiraiya, Asuma, Kurenai, Ibiki... All around the room, nin of Konoha showed their faces, the witnesses to his ultimate disgrace.

Furiously, he threw the scroll to the ground and stomped on it, teeth grinding together audibly. Tsunade smirked. "That's just a copy, Danzo. Nice try."

He spat on the ground. "This isn't over," he promised.

As he stalked from the room, Tsunade lifted her chin. "It was over the moment you overstepped your bounds, Danzo. Deal with it."

He hissed and vanished, as did his Root ANBU. As the ripples of Danzo's displacement settled, the Godaime Hokage turned solemn eyes to the body of Uchiha Itachi. She stepped over to him, pressing her fingers to his pulse point without comment. Her hand dropped and she sighed, stepping back.

"Ibiki, Asuma... Bury him with honor," she said bleakly. "He was the one that helped us move forward; it's the least we can do."

xXx

It had been three days since Uchiha Itachi's funeral. Three long, painful days. Three days of watching Sakura cry at his graveside, of avoiding anyone else unless it was an absolute _order_ from Tsunade... and the only reason Naruto even obeyed the orders was because she'd kept her word and disbanded the council.

No one had seen or heard from Danzo, and even Sai said he couldn't seem to find the old man. Sakura confessed once that she didn't care if he'd fallen and broken his neck. If she saw him - alive - she'd help him break it. If she saw him dead, she'd spit on his carcass.

Naruto could relate to the feeling.

For the most part, the blond spent those three days either holed up in his apartment or training with Sakura to distract her. Occasionally Sai would help, and it was those times that Naruto could pretend that he hadn't failed.

But every time he opened his eyes, every time he saw the sun filtered through leaves, dancing through the wind to the ground, he was reminded painfully that he had been _helpless_. Jiraiya said it had been for the best. Yamato confessed that he'd been obeying his orders. Iruka plead with Naruto to understand that he just wanted to keep the blond out of jail. Naruto wasn't sure if any of it was the truth, and if it was, did it matter?

Naruto had eventually concluded that no, it didn't. So when Tsunade threw a desk at him and yelled at him for being a pain in the ass, then turned around and said she was sending him to Suna, he jumped at the chance. She said she wanted him out of her sight and out of her hair, but he knew it was more likely that she was giving him this chance to cool off.

And who better to understand his feelings than one of his best friends in the world? So he packed up his things and set off for Wind Country. He wouldn't look back.

xXx

**R&R!**

**Also, before people get upset... the story is NOT over yet. Like Naruto has already said, 'maybe things aren't what they seem'. Have faith in me! I wouldn't make a sad ending like that! (r0o would murder me!) … okay, I would. But I won't with this, I promise. Now, I will be updating the next chapter tomorrow. This story isn't half overwith yet. You still have quite a few updates in your future.**

**Anddd... reviews inspire me! SO the logic goes that if I get a lot of good reviews, I might be motivated to write (and update) faster!**

**Also, no bugging the lovely Azhwi for her knowledge of future chapters. She has stated that she wants no trouble. Thanks, Az, for being a doll and beta'ing for me!**


	14. Tempus Fugit

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 14**  
**Tempus Fugit - (Time Flies)**

xXx

Tsunade didn't even look up at the ninja that materialized in her office, crouched on one knee, head bowed. She signed a form and moved it to the 'completed' stack before snatching another irritably from the 'yet to do' stack. "Yamato."

The man took his cue and stood, standing ramrod straight before her. "Hokage-sama, I am here to report on Naruto-kun's status," he said.

_What else would you be doing?_ she thought uncharitably, but sighed and waved him on. She still hadn't looked up.

"He is... the same," Yamato informed her reluctantly. "There is no change. He still refuses to return to Konoha, and he still refuses to do anything but train. The Kazekage has had to issue the order for no nin to train with him after dark, otherwise he would never sleep."

Honey eyes flickered up to his face. She huffed and pulled down another form. "Idiot," she muttered.

Yamato suppressed a smile. "He and Sakura still do their bi-weekly visits, as you no doubt know," he continued. "She brings him things. Gifts. Pictures. Sometimes Sai draws for him and sends it along with her."

Tsunade sighed and set down her inkbrush. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's been _three months_, Yamato," she said, sighing. "And yet he still won't come home. He still won't forgive-" She stopped, pressing her lips together to keep herself from finishing that sentence.

He stared at her for a moment, before looking away and sighing. "He never listens to me when I talk about Konoha. I've all but given up. He completely tunes me out." He pushed his hands into his pockets. "It's... He's changed, since he left. I mean, he's more... driven. More determined. He still smiles, but never around people he doesn't know, or doesn't like. Which includes me. He still searches for Sasuke. Not actively, but the Kazekage lets him keep an eye on the records in exchange for Naruto's help with the Suna Academy."

Tsunade nodded. This was all stuff she knew. She didn't need to be reminded. She sighed. "Very well. Get some rest and then return to him. Your orders are the same. If he needs anything, see if you can't provide it. Within reason. Don't let him boss you around."

Yamato bowed. "Hai, Hokage-sama." He sank into the floor.

She had barely signed one more form before Shizune crashed into the room, looking harried. Tsunade looked up in alarm, feeling stretched thin with all that seemed to be happening this morning. "Shizune? What is it?"

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama! Uchiha Sasuke... he's been spotted, just inside Hi no Kuni!" the other woman gasped, out of breath. She must have run... but why?

"That's not too close, no matter where he came from," the Hokage said, frowning. "Relax. We have some time."

But the color didn't return to Shizune's face. "No, you don't understand, Hokage-sama. He's already killed three Konoha nin that crossed his path," she said. "And he injured Kakashi. If Kakashi hadn't been meeting up with Jiraiya-sama for his report, he wouldn't have made it out alive."

"You should have told me that to start with!" Tsunade roared, shooting to her feet and slamming her fists on the desk.

Shizune squeaked and tripped in her mad scramble to get back. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Where is Kakashi now?" Tsunade demanded.

Shizune gulped and quickly climbed to her feet. "Jiraiya-sama is bringing him back to Konoha. He sent a messenger hawk ahead of him, and should arrive in a few hours. They injured Uchiha, but that won't hold him off for long. He's determined, and he's _mad_, Tsunade-sama."

"Of _course_ he's mad," the Hokage growled out. "We _expected_ this. I had just thought it would happen _sooner_, is all."

Her assistant nodded. "I'll have a room prepared in the hospital," she said.

"Good. Have someone fetch Shikamaru, Asuma and Ibiki. They are to meet me here _yesterday_," Tsunade ordered.

Shizune hurried through a bow and dashed out of the room. Tsunade slumped back into her seat with a sigh. "No warning, no time," she muttered. "We can't get him back here... no, it'd be pointless anyway." She shook her head. "Hopefully Yamato's not too far away..." She drew a deep breath. "SECRETARY!"

xXx

Sakura sat on the swing on her front porch, legs criss-crossed in front and eyes closed. She was meditating, or at least, she was supposed to be. In reality though, she was thinking, allowing herself one of those few melancholy moments to regret the past. It was still so new, still so raw, and painful.

She opened her eyes and looked down, gaze landing on a small splotch of long-since-dried blue paint. She could still remember the first time she'd walked onto this porch.

_She stopped on the first step heading up to the porch, putting her hands on her thighs in plain sight. She cleared her throat noisily, but he didn't stir. "Uchiha-san? Are you okay?"_

_He turned his head to face her and opened his eyes slowly. For a minute, he just stared at her in seeming confusion before he sighed and slowly sat up. "Is it that time already?"_

She could almost hear his voice in the back of her mind. All she had to do is close her eyes and imagine herself standing there again.

Sighing, Sakura got up and walked inside the house, looking around as if it was the first time she'd ever been in here. But it wasn't. "_It was my mother's, once."_

She stopped in the livingroom, standing before a bookcase, and picked up a well-worn book on chakra manipulation. Something creaked in the house and she dropped the book. The pages fell open to reveal a flower, a dried out white lotus.

"_Sakura, thank you for coming," Tsunade said._

_It was the day after the funeral, and things were still raw, still __**so**_ _bleak for the rosette kunoichi. She didn't know how she was going to cope, how she had since Itachi was executed five days before._

_Sakura sat in a chair without being asked. "Shisho... you needed me?"_

_Tsunade studied her face for a moment, and something in her eyes spoke of regret. "I'm sorry, Sakura. But there is... his will."_

_Sakura blinked slowly, lips parting. "Will?" she echoed dumbly._

_Tsunade nodded. "He had one put together, signed and witnessed about three days before I sent your team off to Shadow Country." She pushed a thick packet of papers across her desk. "I would like you to take a look at it."_

_Sakura picked the packet up and began to read. After a moment, she started skimming, and once she'd gotten the gist of it, she skipped to the end, where Itachi, the Hokage and two other witnesses had signed._

"_You had left on a mission, before that," Tsunade said. "So you weren't available at the time to tell you. It must have slipped my mind until now."_

_She stared down at Shikamaru and Ibiki's signatures, brow wrinkling in confusion. "Shisho?"_

_Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "He left you most of his belongings. Everything except a desk, which he gave to Shikamaru. We don't know why, and he wouldn't really say anything about it, besides 'she is my friend'. Of course, should Sasuke come, he automatically has rights to half the landmass, but everything else is yours. Unless Sasuke returns, the Uchiha lands and everything on them belong to you."_

Sakura sighed and knelt to pick the book up, feeling her heart ache.

xXx

The man stretched tanned arms above his head, yawning. "Aah... Miyami-san, I'm going to take my break!" he called into the back of the shop. "We haven't any customers at the moment..."

"That's fine, Karasu!" a slightly deeper voice called in reply.

Shaking his head, the red-haired male walked over to one of the corner tables, and sat down with a pot of tea. He breathed a sigh of relief. This was nice. Quiet, peaceful... There were no obnoxious customers bugging him, and he could drink his tea without worry. It was practically paradise-

The sound of the bell over the door interrupted his thoughts. He frowned and pointedly did _not_ turn around. He knew who it was, anyway. Really, it was remarkable that the man hadn't found him before now.

Sure enough, a familiar ninja walked right over and sat down after pulling his giant sword off his back. He crossed his arms and scowled at the green-eyed man on the other side of the table. "You," he said, pointing a thick finger accusingly in the redhead's face, "are one fucking _sick_ bastard, you know that? Fucking _sadistic_ and _sick_ and I swear I'm going to beat your ass into the ground one of these days."

Karasu blinked calmly at the blue-skinned ninja. "Aa... Would you like some tea?" he asked, a token attempt at retaining his cover.

"_No_." Kisame scowled some more and crossed his arms again. Just for effect, probably.

Karasu quirked a brow, and shrugged. "You cannot remain in our shop unless you buy something, ninja-san."

"Oh, don't you _dare_ 'ninja-san' me, you bastard!" Kisame growled.

"Calling the server names will not assist you in gaining favor. We have security. I will have them remove you," Karasu replied, though he didn't appear particularly bothered by said name-calling. "Buy something."

Kisame let out a bark of laughter. "Buy something? _Buy something?_ Why don't _you_ buy _me_ something, you sadistic sonovabitch? It's _your_ damn fault I'm even here! I come out here thinking 'woah, I recognize that- and you know, if it _is_ him, his cover name isn't very original'. It's only a matter of _time_ before someone else figures it out, you idiot! Like, say, _Akatsuki_, maybe? After all, they did pretty much kick your ass the last time you ran into them."

Karasu's brow remained arched. He took a sip of his tea.

"Who I happened to have _saved_ your skinny ass from, _by the way_," Kisame said. He was no longer really talking so much as shouting. Loudly. Though that was pretty much implied anyway.

"Uh... Karasu-san? Is this a friend of your's?"

Karasu turned his head and smiled at his employer, Miyami-san. Short, balding, old but mostly kind. Very fair. Chronically nervous, of course. Karasu hadn't really been able to help much with that in the last two and a half months, though not for the lack of trying.

"Yes, Miyami-san. He is... a friend, I suppose." Karasu tried smiling more to get the man to relax. It didn't work. "He will calm down once it's out of his system. I apologize for the noise."

Kisame choked. "You- OW!"

Karasu smiled and pretended he hadn't just kicked Kisame under the table. "See? Calming down already." Kisame opened his mouth again and then hissed in pain.

Miyami's brow furrowed. "Well, so long as he doesn't make this ruckus when we have customers..." He shook his head and left for the back of the shop again.

Karasu turned a blank look on Kisame. "Not here, please. I am at work. If you get me fired, I will pummel _you_ into the ground."

Kisame groaned. "I hate you."

"Mm. Would you like to purchase something? Or leave?"

Kisame twitched, and then sighed. "Coffee. And if you have anything alcohol, spike it."

"I'm not giving you alcohol in the middle of the day, Kisame-san," Karasu replied bluntly. He got up to get the coffee, though.

"Fucking _ass_," Kisame muttered in his wake.

xXx

Later that day, Tsunade was scowling and pacing in her office when Shizune came in with a raven on one arm. She wordlessly held out a sealed scroll. "A report from Karasu, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade snatched it and broke the seal. She unrolled the seemingly blank parchment and set it on the ground, then bit her thumb and slammed her hand down on it with a burst of chakra. She stepped back.

Before them, a specter of Karasu materialized, looking as unimpressed with them as always. "Hokage-sama," he greeted and bowed. "Karasu, reporting in. Kisame-san approached me today at the cafe. He knew my identity. It is only a matter of time before someone who actually wishes me harm figures it out as well. As such, I believe it is prudent to assume that my cover is blown. Awaiting further orders." The specter vanished and the scroll burned to cinders.

Tsunade cursed and kicked the desk. "I do _not_ need this!" she yelled. "GODDAMMIT!" The next time she kicked the desk, it split in half, showering paperwork everywhere.

Shizune flinched away, eyes wide.

Tsunade wasn't finished yet. "BLOWN HIS COVER! That MORON!" she hollared. "How the HELL does he BLOW HIS COVER! He's supposed to be GOOD AT THIS!"

"A-ano... Tsunade-sama..." Shizune stammered.

"What?" Tsunade snapped, rounding on the dark-haired woman.

"... Shouldn't you... um... send him his orders?" Shizune suggested timidly.

Tsunade glowered at her silently for a moment, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath after her fit. "... Send Shikamaru to retrieve him," she growled. "Oooh, I'm going to beat him..."

"Aa... yes, ma'am," Shizune said, and quickly vacated the room before Tsunade threw her desk out the window.

xXx

_Itachi's eyes opened, and for a moment, his vision was so bleary that it was almost impossible to see anything in the dim light. Then a face swam into view, and he could just make out blond pigtails and a familiar scowl._

"_Hokage-sama," he tried, but the sound was little more than a croak. No one could understand something like that._

_Someone helped him sit up, and Tsunade pressed a glass to his lips. He swallowed water, feeling like he'd been brought back from the dead... which was, more or less, the truth._

"_I'm sorry, Itachi," she said, sighing. "We weren't able to exchange the poison, so I had to flush it from your system. Fortunately, we got there in time, so I was able to resuscitate you without much issue."_

_He nodded sluggishly. He'd figured as much. "Danzo?" he whispered, and sipped again at the water._

"_The council was disbanded," she informed him. "He has... disappeared from the public eye. He's disgraced and refuses to so much at look at anyone but his Root nin. By this time tomorrow, Root will also be transferred into the Konoha system. They will become regular nin and be able to live regular lives... at least for ninja."_

_Something inside him unclenched at that. "Good," he breathed._

"_You should get some rest," she suggested. "You're still recovering from the poison."_

_His fingers just managed to catch her sleeve as she moved to get up. "Sakura... san," he said, struggling to remain awake._

_Tsunade sighed. "She's doing alright, Itachi." She looked away, down at his hand. Her fingers gently unhooked it from the green fabric. "She thinks you're dead. Everyone does. It was necessary." She nodded to the person holding him. "Rest. We'll talk more when you wake again."_

_Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow._

xXx

Naruto flipped back from his opponent, using only his left hand for anchor on the ground. He landed several yards away, on his feet, and darted forward again. Kankuro met him halfway, kunai parrying the blond's short sword.

They shoved apart, both panting for breath. Kankuro lifted his arm, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. "You should go back."

Naruto snarled wordlessly and attacked. Kankuro blocked. They parted again and circled. "I don't have to," the blond replied after a beat.

"You don't," Kankuro agreed thoughtfully. "But you should. The Hokage worries about you, Naruto."

Silence fell as they lunged at each other again, and after a moment, Kankuro managed to trip the blond up. They tumbled to the ground, rolled and Naruto pinned him, wakizashi pressed against the puppeteer's throat.

"I don't care," the blond said between gasping breaths.

Kankuro's finger slid underneath the tip of the blade at his throat and gently pushed it up. Naruto let him. "Yeah, I noticed. You get more and more like that Uchiha teammate of yours every day," he commented.

Naruto scowled and lifted the blade, sliding it into the short sheath at his hip. He rolled off his friend and sat beside him, arms crossed. "Who cares what you say? I'm not going to run away to get revenge on my dead brother," he retorted.

"You don't have a dead brother," Kankuro replied, shrugging as he sat up. He crossed his legs in an X before him and faced Naruto with a serious expression. "You can't stay here forever, Naruto. You have to go home eventually."

"Shut up," Naruto snapped, and scowled. "I know that." He sighed and scrubbed a hand through messy, dirty hair, and grimaced. He needed a shower. "Sakura-chan wants me to come back too. Something about how having just Sai to beat up is no fun." He shrugged, looking down at his hands in his lap.

"Then go back," Kankuro said, sighing. He really didn't want to listen to any more of Temari's bitching or see Gaara's broody scowls if he could help it. "Listen, man. We like you alright, and you've been a ton of help with the kids and about anything else Gaara could convince you to do... But we really don't want to marry you."

The blond shot him a glare. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he snapped irritably. "When I'm ready to go, I'll tell you first thing."

Kankuro sighed again, letting his head drop back to stare up at the sky. He groaned. "Right," he muttered, exasperated. It was Temari's turn next, wasn't it? Tomorrow. He shook his head and got to his feet. "Anyway, I have to get back, but now I've gotta shower first." He eyed the blond. "You should think about doing the same, just don't waste the water." After dusting his backside off, he gave Naruto a wave and let him be.

Naruto sighed as he disappeared, then flopped onto his back in the sand. He closed his eyes since there were never any clouds in the sky and keeping them open would just burn his retinas. For a moment, he saw eyes, red and burning and full of hatred. Then he fell asleep, and he saw _them_, accusing in their stares.

Itachi and Sasuke. The ones he'd failed.

xXx

The morning dawned bright and cheerful, birdsong in the air and the smell of freshly made coffee wafting on the breeze. Karasu sat up straight in bed. Coffee?

His bedroom door opened as if on cue. "Time to get up, dear! I've made coffee!"

Karasu felt an overwhelming feeling of mortification and couldn't move, refused to do anything but blink at the blue-skinned idiot in his doorway. His arm twitched. His eye twitched. A kunai appeared in his hand.

Kisame ducked, the kunai flying right through the wall where his head had been. He peered at the spot to find that it had _melted_ through. "Oh, ouch. You trying to kill me?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Karasu replied bluntly. "I promise I'll make it quick."

Kisame laughed nervously and slammed the door shut on the next kunai, not that it did much but slow it down a bit. "Your coffee's in the livingroom!" he called through the door and beat a quick retreat.

"_Why_ is he still here?" Karasu asked himself, sighing. "There is _no_ reason for him to still be here."

Shaking his head, Karasu climbed out of bed and quickly dressed, then went out to the livingroom. Sure enough, Kisame had made coffee and set it there, along with... a donut. Karasu twitched. He looked around with narrowed green eyes, searching for the blue-skinned nukenin. "Kisame?"

No answer. A thorough search of the house only served to confirm his suspicions. Kisame had run away. Perhaps the idiot had brains after all.

Sighing, Karasu sat down to eat, and had no sooner taken _one_ bite than someone knocked on the door. He set his mug of coffee down with a sharp _click_, dropped the donut and almost stomped to the door. "If you are here to _pester_ me, you idiotic pain in the ass," he began, jerking the door open. He stopped. "Oh."

Nara Shikamaru blinked at him for a beat. "Um... I didn't do it?" he ventured, brow furrowing. "This is so troublesome."

Karasu sighed and stepped back, letting the Nara inside. "No, it's not you," he said irritably. "Did you see the message?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, but Shizune-san told me the basics. I suppose you thought I was Kisame-san?"

Karasu nodded. "Yes. He decided to make me breakfast and coffee first thing this morning," he explained, eyes narrowing with murder in mind.

Shikamaru wasn't sure if he'd ever seen the other man so... pissy. Perhaps he just wasn't a morning person? Back when they'd lived together, Itachi never talked to him first thing in the morning. This would explain it.

"You have coffee?" the Nara asked hopefully. He had started off for this town last night and had thus been up for almost an entire twenty four hours. Coffee would be heaven.

Itachi nodded and gestured toward the half-full coffee pot sitting on a counter in the kitchen. Well, more like 'kitchenette', seeing as it was actually a small space of tiled floor in one corner of the living room. "Help yourself. Mugs are in the cabinet." He pointed out a stand-alone shelving unit with a door that was off to the side of the kitchenette.

Shikamaru toed off his shoes and offered Karasu a thankful bow. Three minutes later, he sat down beside Karasu on the couch and they fell into a comfortable silence as they drank their coffee (and Karasu ate his donut). It was just like old times, only... Karasu's hair was red.

Shikamaru's brow wrinkled. Man, that didn't even make sense in his _head_. Sighing, he broke the silence. "Anyone else besides Kisame-san been here?"

Karasu shook his head. "No. Just him. What are my orders?"

"You're to return to Konoha," Shikamaru replied, and sipped his coffee. "I'll warn you though... Hokage-sama's not very happy about this."

Karasu's eyes slid to the side, taking in the Nara's face. "I did not expect her to be." He tilted his head, then reached up toward a small stud in the lobe of his right ear. "But your warning is heeded." He removed the silver earring.

Shikamaru looked over as the illusion faded, leaving behind his old friend. Shikamaru smiled slightly. "Welcome back."

Black eyes met grey. "Thank you."

xXx

The blade of his katana cut clean through flesh and bone, a spray of blood and the soft sound of a body dropping to the ground the first and last signs of the Konoha ANBU's death. Around him were sprawled the bodies of two five man teams. He stood in the midst of it all, still burning with rage and hatred.

His once white haori was drenched in blood, some drying, some freshly wet. His pants too. He looked down and blinked at his waist blankly for a beat, then realized that it was the rope that had gone missing. Perhaps one of the ANBU had cut through it during the fight. He wasn't injured, thankfully, but... Where had it gone?

His gaze roved over the numerous bodies but he couldn't find it, so he gave up with a shrug. It was a simple matter to replace it, after all. Shaking his head, he crouched beside a body that hadn't been entirely covered in blood and hacked off a clean piece of shirt to clean his blade with.

"Idiots," he whispered, quickly cleaning the blood away before sheathing his katana. He stood, dropping the cloth, and turned away from the bodies. He had perhaps half an hour before the next group caught up with him, and he needed a bath.

He stooped at the edge of the field, spotting a familiar pile of cloth, and scooped it up. The sash was there, and as soon as he lifted it, he found the severed rope. It took him less than two minutes to secure both in place. The extra knots would do for now, and he could replace the rope later.

Behind him, he heard the soft sound of a groan. He turned his head to peer over his shoulder, watching a young woman haltingly push herself up onto her hands and knees. He turned, and she looked up, mask falling to the ground as it crumbled. Dark brown eyes stared up at him, in _fear_.

He smiled darkly and unsheathed his katana.

xXx

It was the shifting of the bed that woke him, and when Kakashi cracked his eyes open, he wasn't entirely surprised to find her sitting there. "Sakura?" He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down.

"You should stay still, Kaka-sensei," she admonished, frowning at him. "You lost a lot of blood, so you should just take it easy."

He sighed and nodded. "You're right. How are you, Sakura?"

She shrugged. "I've been better," she admitted, looking away. One hand lifted to tuck a few strands of soft pink hair behind her ear. "I heard about Sasuke, and you, so I thought I'd... check on you."

_Only 'Sasuke'?_ Kakashi mused. _What happened to 'Sasuke-kun'?_

Sakura drew in a breath and let it out, looking up at him. She smiled. "We'll stop him, Kaka-sensei."

His eyes widened. "'We'?" he echoed, alarmed.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm going out with a team of ANBU in half an hour to apprehend Uchiha Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha for his crimes," she said softly. "Not that I'm technically supposed to tell you that, but..." She shrugged.

"Sakura, don't go," he said, grabbing her hand. "Do _not_ go after him. He is not the man you once knew, Sakura," he plead. "He's... a monster."

"That's why I have to stop him," she replied firmly, twisting her hand out of his grasp. "Before he kills anyone else. I'm not stupid, Kaka-sensei. I know there's probably nothing we can do now to save him, but..." She looked down, and closed her eyes. "But I at least want to bring him home. And maybe then, Naruto will come back too."

Kakashi stared at her silently for a moment before forcing his body to relax. "Be careful, Sakura," he said, closing his eyes.

She kissed his cheek and left without another word.

xXx

Sakura was the last to arrive at the Konoha gates, prepared for her mission. She knew it was likely that she'd never see the faces of her companions, but she still glanced around at the three masked figures, hoping for some sign to clue her in on their identities. No such luck.

"Are we ready?" she asked, blinking at them.

One - a male - turned toward her and shook his head. "Nah," he drawled, and she bit back a grin. She _knew_ that voice! "We're still waiting for his imperial highness to actually get here to Konoha."

Her amusement faded to confusion. "Who?"

Genma shrugged. "Our Captain? We're still waiting for him."

"Oh." She blinked. "Who is it?"

He rolled his eyes. "You won't believe it if I told you. Man, I owe him a good kick in the rear for this shit."

He was saved from further questioning by Shikamaru walking through the gates and then right past all of them. "Hi, Sakura. Bye Sakura," he said quickly in passing.

Puzzled, she wondered what the hell he was hurrying off for. She was about to turn and call him back when someone else stepped into view. Her words were forgotten, and her blood ran cold. That walk, those eyes, that hair... He stopped just inside the gates, meeting her gaze with all the calm of someone who hadn't come back from the dead.

She took a step, feeling numb. Another step, and the numb was melted by fire. A third, a forth step, a fifth, and she stood before him. She pulled back her fist and decked him so hard he literally flew right back out of the gates. "YOU SADISTIC BASTARD!" she screamed.

The ANBU team quickly scrambled out of her way as she went after him. He'd crashed right through a tree and was getting back up when she reached him. Black eyes were draining to red as she grabbed him up by the front of his shirt and shook him. "Do you KNOW what I WENT THROUGH, YOU DICK!" she yelled, vibrating with fury.

He stared at her silently, one hand holding his now broken nose. Finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san."

"SORRY!" she yelled incredulously, shoving him away from her in disgust. "Sorry doesn't cut it, you ass! Sorry doesn't take back the tears, it doesn't take back the anger, and the sadness! Sorry isn't going to fix Sasuke, or Naruto! So _keep_ your fucking _sorry_ and shove it up your ass!"

He was struck by a moment of deja vu and shook his head. "It does not fix it, no," he agreed, frowning at her. "I did not know this is how it was going to happen, Sakura-san. I had no clue. One minute, I am _dead_, and the next Hokage-sama is sitting next to me explaining what happened. You may be angry at me all you wish, but please consider that _I_ would have done it differently. _I_ would have _told_ you."

She punched him again, this time without chakra. "_Then why didn't you_?" she snarled.

"I was acting under orders!" he retorted, frowning more deeply. He caught the next punch.

"_Screw_ orders, Itachi! I was fucking _scared_! I _cried_! I went to your goddamn _funeral_, you sick bastard!" And suddenly she was crying again. She pulled on her hand, but he didn't release it. "How could you..."

He sighed and winced as he popped his nose back into alignment. He wiped the blood away with the back of his sleeve, then reached out and plucked up the necklace from her neck. He stared down at it. "Let me make amends?" he asked softly.

The muscles in her arm relaxed, and it only stayed up because of his grip on her fist. "How could you fix this?" she asked, feeling angry and sad, happy and relieved, all at once. It was playing havoc with her psyche.

He didn't answer for some time, thumb gently tracing back and forth over the warmed metal of the beads resting on his fingers. She must have worn it since he put it on her... "I will try," he said softly.

She let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Fine. But I get to be there when Naruto confronts you after he finds you," she said, eyes narrowing on him.

He actually grimaced at that. "Aa... as you wish." He released her fist and pointed at his nose. "Would you mind? It'll be distracting on the mission."

She was tempted just to punch him again and refuse, but eventually the medic in her won out and she lifted her hands, healing his nose in only a few passing moments. "You're such a jerk," she informed him, frowning. "And you're totally not getting that bedroom back."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "We'll discuss that at a later date, I think," he replied.

She turned away and continued as if he hadn't said anything. "Or that bed! No way am I giving up that bed. If I'd known you had such a comfy bed, I would have stolen it ages ago."

He snorted. "You would have tried."

She stuck her nose in the air and glowered at the watching ANBU group. "Well? Don't we have a mission?" she demanded archly.

Genma shook his head and patted Itachi's shoulder in passing. "You know, I almost feel sorry for you, Uchiha. But... _not_ quite."

Itachi didn't reply.

xXx

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I'd like to ask for the same sort of response when you AREN'T concerned for Itachi's life, if you'd be so kind! XD It's not a condition, but as I said previously, reviews inspire me so it's only logical that reviewing would help me update FASTER. XDD**

**And as always, thank you very much to the lovely azhwi for beta'ing this for me, and for sitting with me egging me on as I wrote! I would never get anywhere without you, love!**

**And last but not least, be sure to check out the poll in my profile! And vote! Thanks.**


	15. Uchiha vs Uchiha

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 15**  
**Uchiha vs. Uchiha**

xXx

There was a soft knock on the door and Gaara looked up, eyes meeting the gaze of his blond friend. He sat back, setting down his quill, and gave the other man his full attention. "Naruto," he greeted.

Taking that as silent permission to enter, Naruto stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "You don't usually call me in the middle of the day, Gaara," he commented, hands shoved into his pockets. "Did you get news?"

Gaara gestured for him to sit. Naruto didn't. The redhead sighed. "Mm... yes. For some time now, Uchiha Sasuke has been systematically wiping every Konoha nin he crosses paths with off the map," he said grimly, voice soft. "Hokage-sama has informed me that she's already sent one team to apprehend him, but they never returned. She should have sent the second team by now."

Naruto's hands curled into fists in his pockets. "Killing them?" he asked, face paling. "What about Sakura-chan?"

"I do not believe they have crossed paths," Gaara replied, and mentally added, _Yet_.

"They will soon," Naruto growled as if reading his mind. He pulled one hand out of his pocket and rubbed his face. "Sakura-chan will want to confront Sasuke herself. She feels that she owes it to Itachi. She says it's her fault that Sasuke won't ever get the revenge he's always wanted..." He dropped the hand and fisted it once more. "I'm going. Don't try to stop me, Gaara."

Gaara gazed at him calmly for a long time, then nodded. "Very well."

Naruto smiled at him. "Thanks. I'm gonna get ready and go, then. I guess... I'll see you around, okay, Gaara?"

The redhead nodded. "What will you do after?"

Blue eyes crinkled slightly with the sad smile he gave. "I think it's time I went home."

xXx

Sasuke had managed to acquire a new rope, which was good. It meant that he didn't have to carry his sash or his katana around anymore. It also meant that his hands were free in case of attack. Which was also good.

Heaving a sigh, he sat down for a moment. Revenge driven? Yes. Unbreakable? Likely. Powerful? Definitely. Human? Unfortunately. So, occasionally yes, he _did_ have to sit down for a minute or two.

Reluctantly, he pulled a bento out of the hip-pouch he kept underneath the sash. He'd take a moment to eat, and then he'd go back to tearing Konoha to pieces for stealing his revenge.

xXx

Yamato flickered into view just outside the gates of Suna, startling the guards. One, a tall man with graying hair, blinked at him in surprised. "Yamato-san! We did not expect you to return," he admitted, brow furrowed.

Yamato blinked back at him. "Why not?" he asked, frowning.

"Because Naruto-sama is already gone," the man answered.

Yamato stiffened. _He must have heard..._ "How long ago?"

"Um... three hours?" the man ventured, suddenly uncertain. He blinked, and Yamato had vanished. "Huh?"

xXx

Sasuke landed lithely on the forest floor. He straightened from his half crouch, gaze sliding to the right, but remaining mostly unfocused. Aah, these guys were smarter than your average group. Shikamaru, perhaps? Sasuke didn't know of anyone - alive - that matched Shikamaru's brains, at least. Well, maybe Kakashi.

But Kakashi should still be in the hospital right now.

At any rate, this group had surrounded him, and without knowing it immediately, he'd dropped _right_ into their trap. Near invisible razor wire surrounded him left, right, front and back.

Perhaps these ones would be harder to kill? He grinned. No. Just trickier. But that was just fine with him. They'd die anyway.

Careful to avoid any wires, Sasuke reached back and unsheathed his katana slowly, still smirking. "Ooohhh, come out, come out, Konoha nin," he drawled. "Let me see your pretty faces. I'll dine on your fear."

But he _didn't_ expect _her_ to step into sight. Haruno Sakura. "Hello, Sasuke," she said softly. She wore no mask, but then she wasn't ANBU either.

"What, no _Sasuke-kun_, Sakura?" he asked, smirking. "I'm shocked. Have you finally given up on me?"

She smiled sadly and shook her head. "We'd never give up on you, Sasuke. I'm just no longer in love with you."

Sasuke snorted, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. "So what? I never cared. Fangirls don't appeal."

Sakura flinched and closed her eyes, lowering her face. She swallowed. "Sasuke, come back. Come home. Give this up," she plead, looking back up at him. Like always, she met his eyes. She'd never feared to do so.

His eyes were red when she did. "Tell me, Sakura. When you were getting close to him, flirting with him, healing him... Did you ever think for one moment about your supposed love for me? Did you see _me_ when you met his eyes? Did you think 'no, Sasuke' when he died?"

Shockingly, she laughed. "No. You don't get it, Sasuke, do you?" she asked, uncrossing her arms. "It's not all about you. In fact, with Itachi, it never was about you. I don't think you came up in our conversations more then... maybe once. He never brought you up. I only did it once, after I had a _nightmare_ about you. About the day you betrayed me, left me out on a bench to catch a cold."

He sneered. "Is little Sakura heartbroken? I just left you out like the trash you are."

Her fingers tightened in the fists they'd become, the sound of leather creaking against leather echoing unnaturally in the silence that had settled. Her fists glowed green, and he could feel the unsettled chakra in the air. He knew Naruto wasn't here right then. The idiot would have leapt out at him and right into his trap if he'd been there, especially after that comment.

"I'm not trash," Sakura said softly, and if he paid attention close enough, he'd see how badly she was shaking.

Not that he cared. "Prove it," he sneered.

"I already have," she replied softly. "Over and over and over again. It's not my fault that you weren't there to see it." She pulled her fist back and slammed it into the ground.

xXx

Naruto took to the trees as soon as he reached them, his speed doubling with the extra leverage. He was glad, as he'd been getting a little sick of running on sand that only slid and slowed him down. He launched himself from a branch, landed on another and did it all over again, his gaze fixed on some invisible point ahead of him.

_I'm coming, Sakura-chan_, he thought, and was left with only the soft clatter of beads and the heavy thunk of his feet for company.

xXx

Sakura jumped back at the resulting explosion, landing in the boughs of a tree. She felt Genma land beside her and pat her shoulder in silent congratulations. Neither said a word as they waited for the dust to clear.

Sasuke was gone, and then they heard a scream of pain to their left. Genma and Sakura cursed in tandem. Sakura was pale as she darted toward the noise. Her heart sank into her stomach upon finding one of the ANBU beheaded. Another scream from directly across the clearing, Genma went off toward Itachi's location and Sakura found another beheaded ANBU.

She spun and dashed toward Genma and Itachi, but used a tree-branch to flip back and out of the way as Sasuke came at her with a kunai. Her chakra-laden fist caught him in the jaw, and he poofed out of existence. She ducked out of the way of the flying kunai, and a log fell to the forest floor.

He came at her from behind next, sword crackling with the chidori. She dropped from the tree, letting gravity take hold, and barely avoided the fatal strike he aimed for her throat. As it was, she knew he'd just sliced through her hair.

She reached up as she fell, grabbing his ankle, and heaved him aside. He slammed into a tree, grunting, and poofed into another log. Then she was landing, and had barely touched the ground before he was right above her, sword raised and leer on his face.

"Escape this!" he yelled, and swung.

Genma flickered into view, tanto raised to parry Sasuke's katana. Electricity ran down the older male's blade, making him grunt with pain, and then the tanto shattered, but not before Genma managed to shove Uchiha away.

Then Genma dropped to one knee, teeth gritted. He let go of the tanto's hilt, palm smoking, and clasped the wrist of his injured hand. Sakura watched Sasuke come at them again and pulled back her fist. He stopped, flipped back using one hand on the ground for leverage, and vanished into the shadows of the forest.

Sakura crouched in front of Genma, back to him and fists glowing. She waited. _Taicho... you'd better hurry it up!_

xXx

Yamato reached the first forest of Konoha in record time. He glanced around as he traveled, noting the minor signs that this path had been recently passed. He eyed one, pausing on a branch. Maybe two and a half hours previously? He was catching up, slowly. Hopefully, he'd get to Naruto before Naruto reached the Uchihas.

Sighing, he continued on, offering up a quick prayer for his fellow nin.

xXx

They waited for maybe fifteen minutes in silence before Sasuke attacked again. His whole body glowed with the Chidori, and it sang along the length of his blade. Genma knocked Sakura back, taking the blade in his bicep. He cried out in pain, body spasming, but it was enough of a distraction for Sakura to come at her old teammate from behind.

Her fist crashed into his spine, glowing and heavy but once again he vanished, a log shattering to splinters in his place. She ducked, a kunai grazing her cheek from behind. She slapped her palms on the ground and kicked out behind her, head turned to watch as Sasuke took the attack on his arm guards and flew backward. She dropped her feet to the ground again and put her back to Genma's.

"I'll watch," he grunted.

She nodded. "Soon, I'll be able to heal you. Do you think you can hold on till then?"

Genma coughed, back brushing her's. "Maybe." He knew she was referring to Taicho's preparations... she just hoped he _would_ be able to last until then.

Then Sasuke dropped from the trees, eyes red and tomoes whirling. He met Sakura's gaze, and the tomoes morphed. "Mangekyo sharringan," he whispered.

xXx

Yamato was _so_ close. Did he just see a flash of white? He narrowed his eyes, trying to speed up, and nearly tripped over his own two feet at what he finally saw. White sleeved cloak with fire climbing up the hem, blond hair, black pants...

"_Yondaime-sama_?" he whispered, and then the Yondaime was gone, flashing out of sight.

xXx

She stood alone, on a plain of flowers, staring ahead at the sunset. Itachi was next to her, and their fingers were interlaced. He turned his head, black eyes surveying her quietly. "Sakura."

She blinked and looked at him. "Itachi?" she asked, surprised. Her brow furrowed. "What is it?"

He pulled his hand away and stepped back. "I'm dead, Sakura. You let me die."

Ice went down her spine, and her eyes teared up. "No, Itachi! You wouldn't... you wouldn't even let me be there for you! You sent me away, otherwise I would... I would have..."

"Saved me?" Itachi asked, and frowned at her. "You couldn't have saved me."

She frowned at him for a moment. "I didn't need to. I-" She stopped, memory flooding back. "This is a trick."

"You're dreaming, Sakura. And you failed me. I died because you failed to save me," Itachi went on.

Sakura almost laughed. "Wow, Sasuke, did you _not_ get a news letter? I mean, really? It's no secret."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" The facade of Itachi faded away, leaving behind her old teammate.

She smiled, and felt a flood of foreign chakra surging through her from her shoulder. Genma. She blinked the image of that field away, and swung her fist. Sasuke shoved himself back, sprawling out onto his back and scowling at her. "What did you mean?" he demanded.

She looked behind him and smiled. "Done, taicho?"

Sasuke turned his head, staring up at the masked figure standing just behind him. The man was staring back down through cat eyes, one hand holding a condensed ball of fire, the other hanging by his side. "Yes, Sakura-san."

The color drained from Sasuke's face. "You were dead," he whispered, sitting there on the ground like a bump on a log.

Itachi's shoulder rolled in a smooth semblance of a shrug. "Emphasis on 'were'," he replied boredly, and lifted the fireball. "Good bye, little brother."

Sasuke barely managed to dodge. Sakura had gotten Genma the hell out of there, and when she looked back, she was glad she had. The only thing left for about a twenty foot diameter was a deep, smoking crater. The Uchiha brothers stood on either side of it, one slightly singed, the other as immaculate as usual.

"You are a sore sight to lay eyes upon, ototo," Itachi said calmly. "A traitor."

Sasuke laughed, a tinge of madness coloring the sound. "That _rich_, coming from you!" he shouted back, and any mirth that may have been there was drowned in fury. "You selfish bastard! _You_ betrayed _me_!"

Itachi inclined his head. "So I did. Perhaps you should do something about it, then?"

Sasuke screamed wordlessly and lunged forward. Sakura looked away, forcing herself to focus on the badly injured Genma and not the sick display of brotherly hatred. "I don't think I've thanked you," she said softly, pausing as a thundering crash made it impossible to speak. "If you hadn't been here, I would've been trapped in the Sharringan."

Genma cracked a tired smile. "Only for you, Sakura," he teased flirtatiously.

She laughed a little. "Flirt," she accused. Her hands glowed green with healing chakra and she lay them gently on his shoulder. "Just relax. I've got you, Genma-san."

He let out a relieved sigh and closed his eyes. "Don't let taicho die again, huh? Or me. I'd much appreciate it."

Sakura nodded, closing her own eyes. "Yeah," she breathed, and focused on mending his injuries.

xXx

"HE WHAT!" Tsunade yelled, hands slamming down on her new desk.

Shizune cringed and pulled slightly away. "Um... Na-Naruto... went after Uchiha Sasuke." She held up the scroll from a messenger bird. "Kazekage-sama says he did not try to stop him, as 'it would have been a pointless battle to keep him in my village, he's _your_ responsibility, and I don't feel like arranging for property damage repairs'," she quoted.

Tsunade growled. "GET ME SHIKAMARU! And find out where the hell Yamato is!"

"Hai!"

Tsunade sat down, biting the tip of her thumb after Shizune left. Yamato was supposed to keep this from happening! Had he been too late in returning?

xXx

Itachi's fist rammed into Sasuke's stomach, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Sasuke snatched at his face, fingers hooking in the strap of Itachi's mask, and he snatched it away. They leaped apart.

Sasuke dropped the mask to the ground and stepped on it, crushing the porcelain beneath his heel. "I'm going to kill you, Itachi. Once and for all. This will end today."

Itachi's hand slid around him and started going through seals behind his back. "You're right. But it will not end in death. It will end with your return to Konoha."

Sasuke sneered. "What, are you suddenly a saint?" he demanded angrily. "Suddenly, you care?"

"I have always cared, Sasuke," Itachi replied, shrugging. "It was you who did not care enough to find out the truth." He was finished. All he needed was contact now.

"WHAT TRUTH!" Sasuke roared, surging forward. "You're a murderer! You killed everyone! Who cares what truth there is to it?" He swiped at his brother with his katana, meeting only air.

Itachi's arm wrapped around Sasuke's neck from behind, and he placed his other hand against the side of the younger Uchiha's head. "You are still foolish, ototo."

Sasuke forced his brother away with a full-body chidori and spun to face him, katana slashing out. He caught Itachi's arm, metal slicing flesh, and smirked victoriously when Itachi's frown deepened with the pain.

"You are blind, ototo. You never sought the truth. You took my words at face-value, and that is why you were never destined to best me," Itachi continued. "How pathetic."

Sasuke was blind. Blind with rage, and pain. "You killed them!" he yelled and lunged at his older brother. At the last second, he abandoned his katana and stabbed Itachi in the stomach with a kunai.

Itachi's face smoothed out with surprise. "You..." He poofed into smoke, and Sasuke crashed to his knees on the ground. A shadow clone.

"That was unpredictable," Itachi murmured behind him. "I see you've been studying Naruto."

"He's been unpredictable his whole life," Sasuke snarled, turning his head. He climbed to his feet. "I picked up a few pointers." He leaned over and retrieved the sword from the ground, eyes never once leaving Itachi's face.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "I see." He unsheathed the ANBU issued half-sword, called a tanto but not exactly the same, from his back. He pressed the hilt to his covered wrist, then flicked it. The poison capsule hidden beneath his arm guard was punctured by the tiny needle in the hilt. The clear liquid ran inside the needle and then through the curves of the blade when Itachi flicked it.

"You won't be coming back, then," he said, realizing it. There was a brief moment of sorrow, and then nothing. He would grieve later.

"No," Sasuke growled, and his blade glowed with the chidori.

"Then I have no choice. This battle must end with death," Itachi said, face a mask like the ANBU could never wear.

Sasuke sneered. "That was the way it was from the beginning," he retorted. "You just wouldn't admit it."

Itachi met his brother's gaze as his eyesight sharpened, becoming clearer, and everything around him seemed to slow. Sasuke was smirking knowingly. Itachi's gaze flickered toward Sakura, who was focused on healing Genma and trusting _him_ to keep Sasuke occupied. Sharringan red eyes widened as the clone appeared behind her and lifted his blade.

"You destroyed what I loved," Sasuke said softly, suddenly in his path, blocking him from Sakura. "It's my turn."

"SAKURA!"

Time slowed to a crawl. Itachi's blade flashed, was blocked. Sasuke's blade swung down to behead her, pain ripped through Itachi's side. Another clone behind him. A flare of color. White, red, black, orange, yellow. The clang of steel, screech of metal, grunt of effort.

Wet and heat seeped into Itachi's side, but his eyes were glued, _fixated_, on the back of a man with yellow hair.

And then time sped up. Itachi jerked his elbow back, and the clone behind him shattered, popped into oblivion. His tanto slid through Sasuke's guard and into a log as Sasuke vanished, though he managed to catch the younger male's arm. _Naruto_. Itachi had never been so happy to see the blond, or the man that arrived just behind him. Yamato.

Sasuke didn't return, as it was obvious he was outnumbered more than he could handle, especially with poison running through his system. Itachi barely remember the knick he'd managed to give his younger brother in their scuffle. He didn't care.

He dashed over to a surprised Sakura and grabbed her arms. She looked into his eyes fearlessly. "I-Itachi? What's going on?"

Naruto, having dispatched the clone, plopped down on the ground beside his friend as Itachi scanned her for injuries. "Sasuke sent a clone after you, Sakura-chan. Weren't you paying attention?"

"Yes," she replied, blinking at Itachi. "I was going to turn around, but when I felt your chakra, I knew you'd take care of it- Itachi, what's gotten into you?"

He sighed and released her biceps, gaze trailing over to Genma, who was also staring at him like he'd lost his mind. He shook his head. "No, it's nothing," he muttered, trying to slow the frantic beat of his heart.

The look she gave him was clearly unconvinced, but Naruto was already speaking and thus saving Itachi from one very uncomfortable conversation. "Ne, Itachi, weren't you dead?" And pitting him right into another one.

Itachi eyed the blond, noting his rather interesting change of attire. Gone were the orange pants, replaced by black ones. His orange and black shirt had been replaced with an orange form-fitting cotton shirt covered in a black vest similar to the Jonin vest. His necklace remained in place, and his shoes were the same. And then, to top it all off was a collared, sleeved white cloak with fire climbing up the hem at the bottom and the collar, though the sleeves were pure white.

"Itachi?" Naruto prompted, scowling at him. "Oi, stop staring. I haven't changed _that_ much, you egotistical jerk. I asked a question, dammit!"

Itachi's brow lifted. "Well, considering you haven't yet leapt for my throat..."

"Don't get your hopes up," Naruto retorted. "I'm still considering it."

The corner of the Uchiha's mouth twitched. "I will explain further when we are in a secure location." He glanced toward where the bodies of his comrades lay, mirth evaporating. "For now, we must bring _them_ back to Konoha for burial..."

Naruto frowned and nodded. "Yamato-sensei? Can you make a couple stretchers? It's okay if they're made of all wood. I'll make some clones to carry them."

Yamato nodded and went to work doing as Naruto had asked. Meanwhile, Sakura helped Genma sit up, sighing. "Can you walk?" she asked him.

"Well, lessee," he replied, holding out a hand.

She scrambled to her feet and helped him stand. He managed a few wobbly steps without help, then nodded. "Yeah. Not very fast, but I can walk. My legs are still pretty numb from that electric shock, though."

Sakura nodded. "I'll help you," she replied.

Naruto got up and made some clones, then they all went with Yamato to get the bodies of their fallen comrades. Suddenly, the real one stopped and came back as Itachi slowly got to his feet. "Oh, and one more thing. Itachi?"

Itachi lifted his gaze, brow quirked. "Yes?"

And Naruto slugged him right in the jaw before backing up several steps. "Okay, now I feel better."

Itachi frowned and rubbed his jaw. "I will have to return the favor eventually, Naruto-san," he informed the blond.

Naruto shrugged and finally smiled at him. "That's cool! Actually, I'm just glad that Sakura-chan doesn't have to cry anymore." He waved and left to go help Yamato.

When Itachi glanced at the kunoichi, he was amused to find that she was pointedly not looking at him, face bright red. Genma was grinning beside her.

"Mm. Interesting," Itachi murmured.

"_Jerk_," he heard her whisper, though it was up in the air as to whom she was talking about.

xXx

Naruto was the first to walk through the door into the Hokage's office and Itachi grabbed Sakura's arm, pulling her ten feet away. Yamato had the same idea. They all watched in fascination as Naruto went flying through the wall to slam into the wall on the other side of the hallway. Tsunade came stomping out, grabbed the dazed blond by the hair and dragged him down the hall.

A pale Shizune poked her head out the door, looking sheepish. "Um, I'll be taking your reports, if you don't mind. Yamato-san, please wait outside while I get Sakura-chan's and Itachi-san's."

Yamato nodded, peering curiously down the hall their Hokage had gone down. Itachi sighed and followed Sakura into the Hokage's office. Ten minutes later, they were just finishing with Shizune taking notes when Tsunade came back in and took her seat. She took the notes from Shizune and Itachi's written report, glanced over both and nodded. "You're both on a week's mandatory recovery leave," she said. "Genma is to have five days once he's released from the hospital."

Sakura nodded. "Hai! But... Shisho-"

Tsunade smirked. "You're allowed to work in the hospital, Sakura. I know how much it means to _me_, why would I take it from you?"

Sakura gave her a relieved smile. "Thank you, Shisho."

Tsunade nodded. "Dismissed. Send in Yamato."

Sakura nodded and dragged a slightly surprised Itachi out behind her with inhuman strength. "She's ready for you, Yamato-sempai!" she chirped, and then pushed Itachi ahead of her. "And you and I simply _must_ have a word."

He blinked, stumbling forward. "Sakura-san, I really must protest," he began.

She laughed sharply. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting out of _this_ talk. Don't _make_ me get Ino."

The Uchiha sighed. "Very well," he muttered. "I will meet you at home." He stepped forward and completed the transportation jutsu.

"Goddammit! UCHIHA!" she shrieked.

xXx

**Ye gods, another update, and you guys didn't have to wait half a year for it! There must be something wrong with me. . Well, actually, I've written up to chapter 21, and I'm almost done with that too, so... yeah. I see semi-frequent updates in your futures!**

**Thanks again to azhwi for being such a wonderful friend, co-conspirator and beta! Without your inspiration in my life, dear, I would never have been able to get this far. Love you!**

**Reviews remind me that I haven't updated. You should leave them so that I remember more quickly. XD Please review!**


	16. Some Time to Breathe

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 16**  
**Some Time to Breathe**

xXx

"Sakura-chan?" Ino said, stepping into her best friend's living room. She'd gotten into the habit of pretty much just walking right into the house since her friend had moved in three months ago. And boy, was she glad she had, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten to see _this_. "Oh my god," she shrieked. Sitting there on the sofa was Sakura. And Itachi. And they were kissing. "Oh my god!"

Sakura shrieked and shoved the surprised Uchiha away, bolting to her feet as the blonde spun away with a surge of giddy glee. "No! Ino! Get back here!" the pink-haired kunoichi yelled, giving chase. "This is _not_ what it looks like!"

Ino spun back around to face her friend at the front door, grinning ear to ear. "Not what it looks like, Forehead? It _looks_ like you and tall, dark and handsome were just making out! Ooh, I have to tell Shika!"

Sakura reached out and grabbed her wrist. "No! We were _not_!" she said, face the color of a ripe tomato.

Ino tugged at her arm, still grinning. "Honey, I _know_ what I saw! Leggo!"

"No! You did _not_ see what you think you saw!" Sakura retorted. "You saw the back of Itachi's head, and me sitting next to him-"

"Facing him," Ino corrected.

"I was checking-" Sakura choked, cutting herself off. "Medic stuff! You saw medic stuff! Oh my god, Ino, I'm going to _murder_ you!"

"You _were_ kissing him!" Ino accused, grin growing impossibly wider. "Oh, wow! You were!"

"Were not!" Sakura yelled, flustered. "_Was_ not! Uhg! Stop jumping to conclusions!" She turned her head and scowled at the amused-looking Uchiha standing in the entrance of the living room. "Itachi! Tell her we weren't kissing!"

He blinked slowly, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "Why? Anything I say on the matter will simply seem contrived. Besides, this is a much more interesting story," he commented, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorjamb.

"I will murder you," she growled.

He smirked. "You're keeping the bed. Call this payback."

"You're sleeping with him _too_?" Ino yelped, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Oh my god! Go, Sakura!" she squealed.

"NO! NOT SLEEPING WITH HIM!" Sakura yelled, getting redder. "NOT NOT NOT!"

Ino was simply bursting with the desire to tell someone. "Oooh, spill. Is he good in bed?" she asked as if he weren't standing right there.

"Amazing," the Uchiha inserted, smirking.

Ino's eyes widened while Sakura sputtered. "Ohhh, Sak! You sly dog! Ack! I can't believe you were holding out on me!" She twisted her wrist out of Sakura's grip, only to be tackled halfway out the door. "Heeey! Lemme go!"

"You are _not_ spreading this around the village," Sakura growled. "Hell no!"

"Awww, c'mon! I was just planning on telling Shika!" And Choji, and maybe Tenten, ooh, and Neji would find it pretty funny! Not to mention Kakashi would get a kick out of it-

"NO!"

Ten minutes of struggling later...

"The closet? Really, Sakura-san?" Itachi asked, brow rising.

Sakura, who was leaning against the broom closet in the hallway even as Ino pounded against it, scowled at him. "Well, I wouldn't have had to resort to this method if you had told the truth, Mr. It Will Seem Contrived," she retorted. "By the way, I'm murdering you as soon as I get the chance."

He shrugged, unconcerned with the empty threat. "You're welcome to try at any time. Clearly, I have issues with actually dying."

"Yeah, I noticed that," she said, and scowled. "But when _I_ kill people, they _stay_ dead."

There was a knock on the front door then, and Ino's pounding abruptly stopped. Naruto stuck his head inside the door. "Sakura-chan?"

She blinked at him. "Naruto? Oh, hi. Um... I'm a little busy right now. Can you come back later?" she asked.

His gaze immediately moved to Itachi, and blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Busy with what?" he asked, glaring at the Uchiha.

"SHE WAS MAKING OUT WITH ITACHI!" Ino yelled through the closet door.

Sakura spazzed. "NO I WASN'T!" she screamed back.

"WAS TOO!"

As the two started up another heated argument, Naruto stepped inside, eyes narrowed on the Uchiha. "Were you?"

Itachi shrugged. "Sure. Why not."

Sakura, who'd turned to face the closet door, turned her head around abruptly to glare at him. "AND YOU!" she shouted. "You're not helping matters at all!"

Itachi gave her a look that practically _screamed_ how non-threatening he found her. "I fail to see what I would get in return for telling them the 'truth'," he said calmly.

She scowled at the audible air quotes. "You get to keep your manhood?" she retorted.

"Threats do nothing as far as convincing me to remain on your side in the matter," he replied.

"What do you _want_?" she demanded.

"The house. You can have any other house on my lands, but this one is mine," he replied. "Unless you want to share it, of course."

"NO!" she shouted. Because giving him the house meant giving him the bed. And she was _not_ giving him that bed.

Naruto looked back and forth between the two of them, brow wrinkled, and decided he was just going to take Sakura's word for it. "Man, you guys have some serious relationship issues," he announced, and abruptly left the house.

Sakura wanted to cry. "WE DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP!" she yelled after him.

Itachi chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. Please let Ino-san out. We can tell her, if she promises to keep it to herself upon pain of death."

Sakura gave him a suspicious glower, but stepped away from the door, opening it for the eavesdropping blonde. Ino beamed. "What truth?"

Itachi's brows lifted. "You will not tell anyone."

"Sure!" Ino agreed quickly. Gosssiiiippp!

"No one," Itachi insisted. "At all. Or else." Ino nodded, but he remained silent for a long few minutes. Finally, he sighed. "Sakura-san was checking my eyes."

The blonde blinked. "Your eyes?" she asked, surprised. "What for?"

He tapped his cheekbone right beneath his left eye. "The Sharringan, specifically the mangekyo sharringan, uses an especially potent brand of chakra that burns the chakra pathways. It was slowly making me go blind," he explained. "Sakura-san has been my personal healer since I returned to the village. She was making sure that my use of the sharringan on our recent mission had not damaged what she was able to repair. Thankfully, it had not."

The blonde nodded thoughtfully. That made sense, actually, considering the similarities between the sharringan blood-limit and the Kyuubi's poisonous chakra. "Alright. So that's what she was doing, huh? And you two were not making out?"

The Uchiha shook his head, lips quirking in a smirk. "No, we were not. We never have."

She heaved a regretful sigh. "Well damn. You guys totally should, you know. You'd make a super cute couple!"

"Alright, get out," Sakura snapped, at the ends of her patience. She grabbed the blonde and shoved her out the door.

"But, Forehead-" Ino protested, turning around.

"No buts!" And Sakura slammed the door in her friend's face, locking it so Ino wouldn't just walk right back in. "Go away!"

She heard grumbling, but thankfully the blonde left.

Itachi smirked. "So about my bed..."

xXx

"Mou... you know, it's actually pretty weird," Ino said, and sighed. "One minute, we're all 'he's dead!' and then the next, the guy is having the usual arguments with Sakura like... well... usual." She pouted, poking at her bowl of ramen.

Beside her, Kiba shrugged and quickly slurped up the rest of the ramen hanging out of his mouth. He started to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, but one disgusted look from the blonde made him pick up a napkin. "Eh, weirder things have happened," he pointed out. "I mean, we live in the same town as _Naruto_."

"Oi!" Naruto said, batting away the cloth overhang as he stepped into Ichiraku's ramen stand. "I heard that."

On Ino's other side, Hinata turned bright red at the sight of her crush. "N-N-Naruto-kun!" she yelped.

The jinchurriki offered her a grin. "Hey, Hinata! Long time no see, right?"

Kiba snickered when the girl predictably fainted, and Ino, who caught her after years of practice, sighed. She shoved Hinata's bowl of ramen out of the way and pushed the girl forward so her upper body was slouched over the counter. "Geez, Naruto!" the kunoichi complained. "Give her a little warning next time, huh?"

Naruto had the grace to look sheepish. "Oh, sorry... Hey, does she have low blood-sugar or something?" he asked, sitting down in the free space next to Kiba. "'Cause she's fainting like all the time!"

Kiba snorted. "Yeah, fure fe doef," he muttered around a mouthful of ramen. He shrunk away from Ino's annoyed scowl. "Fowwy."

She shuddered. "You men are just _so_ gross," she said, and sniffed disdainfully. "I have no idea why I even come out with you! Well, besides for Hinata."

Naruto grinned and turned his attention to the man behind the counter. "Ojiijii!" he shouted unnecessarily. "The usual!"

"Hai!" Ichiraku chirped, beaming at him. "It's been a while, Naruto-kun! It's good to see you back! After all, you _are_ my best customer!"

Naruto grinned, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "Ahh, I try," he said, and giggled.

"You're such a loser, Naruto," Ino informed him, and then smirked. "So! What's the dish on Sakura and Itachi, huh? They said they weren't making out, though I'm not supposed to tell you what they were really doing, especially since I really don't want Itachi coming after me while I sleep..." She paused, wrinkled her nose at the thought, and continued. "But anyway! Are they a couple or aren't they?" She leaned right in front of Kiba, eyes dancing with hope. "C'mooon, Naruto! Tell me! Are they? Huh? Huh!"

Kiba looked down and smirked. What a view!

Naruto, though, looked like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. "W-well, I dunno," he admitted. "They've always been kind of weird like that. She swears up and down there's nothing between them, but..."

Ino pouted when he trailed off uncertainly. "But?" she prompted, leaning further forward.

Naruto looked around suspiciously, as if expecting Sakura to pop up out of the ground. "But... you know," he finally said after a moment. "Itachi doesn't treat anyone quite like he treats her. I mean, he let her have _three_ free punches, according to Genma! And then I punched him, but he _said_ he was going to repay me for it eventually."

Ino gasped, then grinned. "Ohhh my god!" She paused a beat to punch Kiba in the face, knocking him back out of his chair and onto the ground. Then she scooted over into his seat and switched their bowls around before leaning right up against Naruto. "Seriously? Three punches? I didn't know he gave out free hits! But you know, it might just be because she's a girl!"

"No, I don't think he'd give you a free punch," Naruto said, leaning away from her and turning faintly red. Mostly because her boobs were pressed right up against his arm.

She pouted, leaning further. "You don't think he would? Would _you_, Naruto-kun?" She batted her eyelashes at him. Clearly, this was now less about Itachi and more about Ino's womanly charms.

He turned redder. "I-I don't... m-maybe... I-I think... well... uhm..." And he toppled out of his seat, landing on the ground with his feet in the air.

Ichiraku turned around, ramen in hand, and blinked. "Naruto-kun?" He set the ramen down and leaned over the counter to peek at the blond. "You alright?"

Naruto, sprawled out on the ground, lifted one arm, finger pointing at the ceiling. "Hai, hai, ojiijii..." His arm dropped to the ground again.

xXx

Naruto sighed, feeling totally stuffed. But _man_, Ino was such a pain sometimes! He wasn't sure if any girl had ever gotten on his nerves so bad, like Ino did. And trying to talk to her was like trying to talk to a brick wall, only louder! And people said _he_ was obnoxious!

"Maah, I don't know how Sakura-chan deals with it," he grumbled irritably, and kicked at a rock as he ambled down the street. "I guess it takes a special sort of someone to do it." Which was certainly Sakura-chan, of course. He heaved a sigh and turned his mind onto another subject.

His training, to be precise. It was coming along okay, for now... He'd even dispatched Sasuke's clone back there like it was _nothing_, though he doubted the real deal would be half as easy. He needed to train more, longer, faster... He needed an edge...

A bookstore caught his gaze. Maybe they had books on techniques? It was possible. "Yosh!" he said, picking up his pace. "I'll check it out, then!"

The bell over the door clanged as he pushed it open and stepped inside. He shivered. Man, were all stores this cold? It's like they thought having the AC up so high would attract more customers or something. Well, whatever. He shook his head and walked up to the cashier.

The man looked up at his approach and blinked. "Oooh, hello, ninja-san. How can I help you?" he asked, smiling kindly.

"Ojiijii," he greeted, smiling back. "You got any books on jutsu?"

The man's brows lifted. "Well, none on learning, but I have several catalogues." He suddenly grinned and walked around the counter, going over to a shelf. "In fact! In honor of the Yondaime's upcoming anniversary, we have a special sale!"

Naruto blinked. "Anniversary? For what?" he asked, confused.

"His death," the man replied, smiling a little sadly. "He was a very brave man, and we feel that we should honor his sacrifice in some way. So, every year we have a sale for a week before and after."

"Oh," Naruto said awkwardly, shifting. "Well... what's the book?"

"It's a catalogue on all the jutsu he was known to have, with an extended article on his most known, the Hiraishin!" the man said, beaming as he reached the height of his sales pitch. Of course, the boy wouldn't be able to use the Hiraishin, and probably none of the jutsu that the Yondaime had used. But it was still a good sale.

"Hiraishin... ne?" Naruto murmured. Well, the Hiraishin was fast... and he'd wanted fast. "How much?"

xXx

Sakura woke to the scent of bacon and coffee. Which was very odd, since she lived alone, it was dawn which meant that Ino hadn't come over, and anyway she locked the door before going to bed. Then she remembered. Itachi was back. He was alive. He was here. He was... cooking breakfast?

She sat up, frowning, and stared at her closed bedroom door. She never would understand that man, would she? Yesterday, he was all huffy about the bed - she still felt no guilt over refusing to give it back, though she had moved it to a different room - and now he was up at the crack of dawn making breakfast. Perhaps it was just for him?

As if he'd read her thoughts, there was a soft knock on the door. "Sakura-san? Are you awake? I made breakfast."

"I'm up!" she said. "Just don't open that door."

"Very well. Hurry, though. It'll get cold if you don't."

She sighed when she heard the sound of his receding footsteps. "Mou, as if I don't know that," she grumbled, and got up. Three minutes later, she'd finished dressing, put on her deodorant and in general completed her wake-up process, so she stepped out of the room and headed for the dining room.

Itachi was sitting at the table drinking his coffee as he peered at the newspaper, and the scene was so much like Shikamaru that she burst out laughing. He looked up at her, blinking. "Sakura-san?"

She forced herself to calm down and sat across from him. "Did you pick that up from Shikamaru? Or is this normal for you?"

His brow furrowed slightly. "I find it relaxing," he replied, looking ever so slightly annoyed. Pointedly, he looked back down at the newspaper and ignored her.

She smiled and shook her head, picking up a fork. "Itadakimasu!" she chirped before digging in.

Ten minutes later, she'd finished in the silence that had descended between them before Itachi sighed and set down the newspaper. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement?" he ventured.

"Is this about the bed again?" she asked suspiciously.

He nodded. "Please hear me out, hm?" When she said nothing, he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, eying her. "Would you be willing to give me that bed back if I were able to acquire one just as comfortable?"

Her brows quirked. "Well... if you were, and I agreed that it was just as comfortable, then yeah. That'd work," she agreed slowly. "Why do you want _this_ bed so badly though?"

"It's _my_ bed," he replied, and remained mulishly silent on the matter after that.

Sakura eventually gave up. "Oh, fine," she grumbled after nearly twenty minutes of trying to get him to answer her. She pushed her chair back and brought her dishes to the sink. "Anyway, I'm going to the hospital to put in some hours," she told him. "I probably won't be back till late tonight. Maybe not until tomorrow."

Itachi eyed her curiously. "That's quite a while. Will you sleep?"

Sakura nodded, walking out into the hall and opening the coat closet. He followed. "Yeah. Probably in the break room. Or I'll take a soldier pill. But I've been doing a lot of missions lately, so I need to put some work into the hospital." She flashed him a smile.

He leaned against the wall beside her, arms crossed. "I was under the impression that you did _most_ of your work in the hospital," he commented softly. "Why so many missions?"

Half turned away from him, she paused, and looked down at her hand on the door knob. She sighed. "Itachi? It's... it's been a very long three months."

He almost flinched, realizing. "Sakura-san, I-"

"Don't," she snapped, shutting the closet door sharply. "Don't say you're sorry." She looked at him, met his gaze. "It won't change anything, and frankly, I don't want to hear it. What's past is past, and it should be left there. Just bury it already and move on."

Itachi's lips were pressed together, his gaze grim as it flickered over her face. Finally, he nodded. "Very well."

Sakura's smile was relieved, and before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped into his personal space and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stiffened in the embrace, arms stuck awkwardly between them. She released him as quickly as she'd hugged him. "I'm glad you're back, Itachi. No one ever gets this." And she tugged on her light jacket as she walked out the door.

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head thunk gently against the wall his back was now to. He lifted one hand and touched his chest, clutching the fabric over his heart. Why would it beat so quickly, so hard? It was just a hug. It was just Sakura.

But he should know better. There was never a 'just' with Sakura.

xXx

"I find that a person who visits the library is usually someone of at least moderate intellect," a voice commented. "However, with you Naruto, I must wonder what you are getting into."

The blond turned his head to glower at Sai, who stood several feet back just in case. "Gee, nice to see you too, Sai. What happened to your wrist?" He gestured toward the cast on his ex-teammate's arm.

Sai looked down at it, blinking. "Sakura-san," he replied blankly.

Naruto snorted, snatching a third book from the shelf right in front of his face. "What'd you do to piss her off this time?"

"I was merely referencing her breasts in conversation to Choji-san," Sai said, a touch defensively. "Unfortunately, I had no idea at the time that she had come up right behind me. So... she broke my arm."

Blue eyes danced with mirth as Naruto got up with his stack of books. "Man, you suck at life, you realize that?" He flashed his friend a grin.

Sai's brow furrowed. "Excuse me?" he protested, shocked.

Naruto laughed. "Maaann, I'm teasing you, chill out." He shook his head and started toward the nearest table. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Sai sighed and followed him. "I come to the library frequently. They have quite a collection of helpful books." He paused to lean over and pick up a rolled up magazine that had fallen out of Naruto's pocket. "You dropped this, Naruto."

Naruto glanced over his shoulder and shifted the books into one hand. He held the other out for the magazine. "Thanks," he said, taking it. Then he stepped the last few feet to the table he'd been aiming for and set it all down.

Sai eyed the books, noting their theme. "So what _are_ you doing?" he asked curiously, sitting down across from the blond.

"I'm researching the Hiraishin technique," Naruto said, oblivious to a few books clattering somewhere.

Sai glanced over, watching Yamato duck out of sight, and frowned. "Why?" he asked, looking back at the blond.

Naruto opened one of the books, flipping through it until he was nearly in the middle. He considered it for a long time before he finally answered without looking up. "Because I want an edge. I have to get an edge. If I can defeat Sasuke and bring him back... Itachi would have killed him. I know he would have. Maybe he didn't want to, but Itachi has no self-limitations when it comes to killing. So _I_ have to be the one that saves Sasuke."

Sai's gaze softened slightly. "You know it's possible that you won't be able to. Especially now that Sasuke-san knows Itachi's death was staged."

Naruto's hand paused half-way through turning a page, and for a moment, he just stared down at the table-top unseeing. Then he shook his head and finished with the page. "It wasn't staged. Itachi really died. Tsunade-baachan resuscitated him."

Sai was mildly surprised that Naruto even knew that word. "Oh," he breathed. After that, there was really nothing much to say. How did you broach the topic of someone's death?

xXx

Genma groaned when, sometime around noon, his curtains were drawn back to let the sunlight into the room. And directly into his face. "Uhhgg, Sakura, you're a pain in the ass. Or the face. Guck."

She snorted and felt his forehead for a fever. "You're welcome, your almighty highness."

"Hey, Uchiha's the high and mighty one," he retorted, cracking one eye open to peer up at her.

She flicked his forehead in admonishment. "And you're a jerk, your point?"

"Shush, mommy, I'm imagining you in a bathing suit... Mmm... latex."

Sakura's eyes narrowed at him. "Don't _make_ me break your neck," she threatened, but there wasn't much promise to it. Mostly, it was hot air.

Genma beamed up at her. "So, doc, how'm I doin', eh?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Well, considering you're well enough to give me cheek, I'll probably have you out of here by the end of the week at the latest. After that, you'll have five days recovery before you're put back on active duty."

"Man, Hokage-sama sure does run us ragged, doesn't she?" he complained.

"Only you troublesome boys," she replied, and flicked his nose. When he yelped, she grinned and stepped away. "Now, behave while I'm gone! I'll check in on you in a few hours. Is there anything else you need?"

"A book?"

"I'll send you something," she laughed, and the door shut with a quiet _snick_ behind her.

He settled down for another nap.

xXx

"What are you smirking about?"

Shikamaru looked up from the letter in his hand, meeting the eyes of his blonde teammate. "Oh, hey Ino," he said, and indicated the letter. "Just something Temari said."

"You two are still writing to each other?" she asked incredulously.

"Is Anko secretly a man?" he retorted.

"Fair enough." She sat down beside him and pointedly did not look at the letter.

He sighed and handed it over. "Troublesome," he grumbled, getting up from the park bench. "Anyway, I'm gonna go. Make sure you drop that off in my apartment when you're done with it."

"You know, I think it's funny that you never moved back in with your mom, even after you moved out of Itachi's house." She grinned at him.

He snorted and shrugged. "I don't know. Living more or less alone kind of opened my eyes, I guess. I like not living at home."

She smiled up at him. "I know. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see ya," he said, waving, and walked away.

xXx

**Thanks a ton to the lovely Azhwi for beta'ing and being such a big support while I write! I couldn't do it without you, lovey~ exes and ohs. XD**

**Everyone else, review please! I'll give you mind candy~**


	17. Preparing For

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 17**  
**Preparing For...**

xXx

Blue eyes were narrowed, focused, and a blond brow furrowed with concentration. Naruto stood in the middle of a training field, alone. His hands were outstretched before him, holding two separate tagged kunai. The silence of the field was loud, suppressing, pregnant. It was almost as if everything was holding its breath, waiting for something...

And then a surge of chakra preceded the toss of both knives, in opposite directions. Another surge followed before the sudden boom and crash of an explosion. Naruto was thrown back from where he'd stood like a rag doll. He rolled along the ground, a furrow of dirt trailing behind him, and finally came to a stop on his back.

His gaze was trained on the darkening sky above him for a moment. Then he frowned. "_Dammit._"

He got up to try again.

xXx

Sakura stretched her arms above her and yawned as she stepped through the door of her house. There was no sign of Itachi, but it was before dawn, so he was probably still asleep.

Shaking her head at the thought, she lightly kicked the door shut behind her and toed her shoes off before padding into the darkened living room. Not a sound could be heard anywhere in the house, but that was fine with her. She was used to it. It was almost... peaceful.

Breathing a sigh, she narrowed her eyes at the couch in the dark, briefly wondering where Itachi was sleeping. He wasn't laying on the couch, so she sat down and sighed again. She rested her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her shoulder gently and she was opening her eyes to the same dark room. She blinked blearily at the figure crouched there, then let her eyes close again.

Itachi sighed and picked her up, letting the books she'd had in her lap topple onto the couch. He shook his head as he walked down the hall and nudged her half-open door so it opened all the way.

She stirred as he placed her on her bed and started to cover her. "... 'Tachi?" she mumbled, hand reaching for his and clumsily grasping one finger. "S'it you?"

His brows furrowed slightly. "Yes, of course," he replied, perplexed. Who else would it be?

Her half opened eyes closed and a faint smile crossed her face. "S'not a dream... you're... real... really 'live, again," she mumbled before releasing his finger and curling up on her side underneath the blankets. "Don't... die 'gain."

He stared at her, numb with shock, for a long time after that. He couldn't say the words "I promise" no matter how many times he opened his mouth. He couldn't lie to her.

xXx

Yamato finally found Naruto passed out underneath a tree. The area was familiar, here. This was where he'd helped Naruto train to control his elemental chakra, several years ago. He remembered the time clearly, since Asuma had gone up against the Akatsuki Hidan and nearly died. Thankfully, a backup patrol had gotten there in time, so they hadn't lost the man.

He shook his head and picked up Naruto's new white cloak from where it had been abandoned a few feet away. He spread the cloth over his student before crouching beside him.

The boy must have been working hard all night. Training. But what was he training for? Yamato hadn't gotten any notice, and the only reason he'd known at all was because Ino had asked where he was when she hadn't found him at his apartment this morning.

"Yamato-taicho?" Naruto muttered, not bothering to open his eyes. "Did you need something?"

"I would like to help you with your training," Yamato said. Mostly, he wanted to know if he needed to keep the Kyuubi at bay.

Naruto sighed and opened his eyes, meeting the older man's gaze. "It's just a transportation jutsu," he said. "Nothing else."

Yamato nodded. "I still want to be careful," he said reasonably, and the blond sighed again.

Sitting up, Naruto shrugged. "Do what you want. I have to get back to work." He tossed the cloak aside and got to his feet, then walked to a specific spot on the field. He waited for five minutes, until Yamato had set up his _Sit_ seal, and then he vanished.

Yamato gaped, stumbling to his feet as he watched the smoke clear from the area Naruto had once stood. "N-Naruto?" he cried out, glancing around. He heard a crash then, and looked over toward the treeline to find the blond curled up in a ball on the ground. Quickly, he dashed over and rolled Naruto onto his back. "Naruto? Are you alright?"

Naruto grimaced and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm still working on the landing," he admitted a touch sheepishly. "And the 'appearing'. I've got the 'disappearing' part down, but then it gets hard to focus... how the hell did he ever manage?"

Yamato sat down on the ground with a bone-jarring thud, staring at the blond. "Was that...?"

Blue eyes lifted, and Naruto frowned. "The Hiraishin? Yeah. Sorta." He shook his head and got to his feet. "Like I said, I'm still working on some parts. Yondaime-sama was some guy, though! He managed to _create_ such an amazing technique, and I can barely do anything towards _learning_ it."

Yamato gaped at the youth even as Naruto headed back to the middle of the field to start again. _It really is... like father like son_, he thought numbly. He was knocked out of his shock when Naruto landed beside him again with a grunt. _Eerily so_.

It was going to be a long morning.

xXx

Ino blinked and looked up when someone stepped into the shop. She gasped. "Itachi-kun!" she cried, and grinned. "What can I do for you? Are you-"

"I would like some flowers," he interrupted before she could go on a spiel about him and Sakura. "For a grave."

Ino's smile slipped away. "O-oh."

"Something to say goodbye," he added calmly.

She stared at him for a moment before nodding and walking around the counter. After a few minutes of deliberating, she turned to look at him. "Well, pink carnations mean 'I'll never forget you', and cyclamen means 'resignation and goodbye'... um... a purple... Hyacinth..." She hesitated, then murmured, "It means 'I'm sorry'."

He blinked, looking up from a row of bouquets to stare at her. How had...? He frowned. "A bouquet, then... Would they all look alright together?"

She nodded and quickly put the bouquet together, then named the price. He paid it without thought and left. Once he was gone, she sighed, and wondered who he was going to see. His family? "Maybe... his parents?" she wondered aloud.

xXx

Like most of the ninja clans of the Konoha village, the Uchiha not only had their own lands, but their own burial plot as well. Every single Uchiha back to the beginning had been buried here, all except Madara himself.

Itachi found it highly ironic that he stood here, staring down at not only the graves of his parents, but his own as well. There were flowers on his grave, dried ones and recent ones. He wondered if _she_ had put them there. They were pink carnations, and had only just started to dry...

_Whoever left them, it must have been right before I returned_, he mused, and then stepped over to the grave he'd come to visit. _Kaasan..._

He took a deep breath and then knelt before it, staring at the name carved into the stone. _Uchiha Mikoto_. He sighed. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "You probably don't care. You likely do not want to hear these words, kaasan... but I _am_ sorry." He set the flowers down on her grave and let his hand drop into his lap. "I wanted to save people, and I foolishly thought that Danzo's way was the only way to accomplish that. Instead, I obliterated hundreds, orphaned my brother and disgraced my name. And yet..."

He stopped, drew another breath, and closed his eyes. "And yet, I still wish..." The wind picked up, and he felt the tickle of his hair in his face. "I wish you could forgive me, Okaasan."

Silence settled in the graveyard, and the wind fell to a whisper. If he closed his eyes and thought back, he could _just_ remember an echo... "_He's important, Itachi-san. He's __**so**_ _important..."_ Always Sasuke. With his mother, and his father... it had always been Sasuke. Yes, his father always spoke so much about how perfect his little prodigy was, but then... then he'd turn around, and his eyes were cold as he gazed upon his heir.

He heard the soft crunch of leaves behind him, just as the autumn wind revived, and when he shifted to look, Sakura stood there. Her gaze flickered toward his grave, then the flowers on his mothers'. She took a step back. "Aa... I'm sorry. I was just..." She turned around abruptly. "I'll leave you be," she called over her shoulder.

Itachi shot to his feet and darted after her, catching her wrist before she'd gone five steps. "Sakura-san."

She turned, surprise clear on her face. "U-um... yes?" Her free hand reached up to pull her hair out of her face when the wind tossed it into her line of sight.

He tilted his head, brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

She flushed, looking an amusing combination of embarrassed and caught. "I... I don't know. It... Well I... I guess... it's..." She bit her lip and looked away. "Become a habit."

Realization dawned, and he nearly cursed himself. It was another case of the effect of his death on her. Had he truly hurt her so badly? But why? He looked down, and realized that at some point, her hand had slipped into his, or maybe his had clasped hers. "I..." He stopped, unsure what to say.

"Yeah, I know, it's really stupid," she said, letting out a forced-sounding laugh and suddenly tugging on her hand. His reflexively tightened it's grip. "Silly little Sakura, visiting her friend's freaking grave, even though he's not actually dead..." She tugged again. "I just... I don't know. Naruto was gone, and Shikamaru wouldn't talk to anybody about you, and Sai... well, he's Sai, you know him," she rambled. "I guess sitting here kind of calmed me down, you know? It's _really_ stupid."

He looked up from their hands as she pulled at hers again. "Sakura-san."

"I don't know why," she muttered. She wasn't looking at him, and was almost idly pulling at her hand now. Panicking. "I guess it's just one of those dumb little things that I do when I can't talk to anyone else... I cried so much for you, you know that? And I _sat_ here, for hours after the funeral, calling you every name I could think of, Itachi."

"Sakura-_san_," he repeated softly, and sighed when she didn't seem to hear him.

"It _hurt_, and then you show up again... I should have known you wouldn't just _die_ like that, but I didn't, because to me, you _were_ dead. You were _dead_. _You_... _you_ were _dead_, and that wasn't supposed to happen... because you're Itachi and Itachi isn't supposed to just _die_ like that!" She pulled more frantically at her hand. "And let me go, you bastard!"

He jerked her into his arms, cutting off whatever else she'd been planning on saying. Silence once again fell, and as soon as Sakura realized that he was hugging her, she hugged him back so tightly that he thought his ribcage might shatter... a distinct possibility, considering it was Sakura. He held her with one arm around her back, the other atop her head with his elbow braced on her shoulder, and closed his eyes. "_I am here_," he whispered.

That was apparently all it took to break the dam, because then she was sobbing, soaking his shirt with tears, fingers digging into his back painfully. He bore it in silence, though, because _he'd_ done this to her. _He_ had made her cry, and if it took getting his ribs broken one-by-one to fix it, he'd gladly bare it every day of his life.

"You're so stupid," she mumbled into his chest.

"Aa," he agreed, smiling slightly.

She smacked his chest lightly. "You're not supposed to agree, you jerk."

"I was under the impression that _disagreeing_ with _you_ is fatal," he replied smartly. She smacked him again and pulled back as he winced. "Ow."

"Jerk." She reached up to rub the remaining tears from her face, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry about this. I don't know what I was doing. I just... I woke up and you weren't in the house, so... I guess I jumped to conclusions." She sighed. "I was coming out here... to see."

"My grave." She nodded and he heaved his own sigh. "Come. Let's make some lunch. It should be about noon by now," he said, holding out his hand.

Sakura smiled at him and took his hand. "I'm famished."

xXx

Ino grinned and snagged Hinata's hand as the other kunoichi fretted over her choice of colors. "Orange is _good_, Hinata-chan! Don't worry! It's _fine_," she said soothingly.

Hinata blushed and fidgeted. "But what if he doesn't like it?"

Ino gave her a hug. "He'll love it."

xXx

Sakura was about halfway through the most godly sandwich she'd ever had when someone knocked on the door. Itachi got up and returned a moment later with a civilian nurse from the hospital.

The woman bowed. "Sakura-sama, you're needed at the hospital... we have a group of shinobi that came in, and one is poisoned. Also, Genma-san has been giving a few of the nurses trouble... we had hoped you could get him in line..."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "That man, I swear..." She shook her head and got up, smiling. "Right away, Naiyuki-san."

Naiyuki bowed and then quickly vacated the house. Sakura smiled at Itachi. "Sorry. Duty calls. I'll see you later?"

He nodded. "You live with me," he responded reasonably. "I will see you when you return."

She grinned. "Yeah." With a wave, she dashed out into the front hall, slipped on her shoes, grabbed her jacket and left.

Itachi shook his head and also prepared to leave. He needed to speak with Yamato-san, and a few clerks in the city. He had a bed to take care of.

xXx

Yamato blinked at Itachi, brows furrowing. "Sure, I could do that," he said thoughtfully. "Just so long as this is a one-time deal. I have better things to do than make beds. I won't be able to do it today, though, since we're doing _that_..."

Itachi quirked a brow. "What?"

Yamato smirked and glanced around, then leaned forward to whisper in Itachi's ear. After a moment, the Uchiha pulled back and Yamato straightened. "I see."

Yamato nodded. "Yes. Would you like to come?"

"I don't think he'd like it too much," Itachi said, taking a step back and preparing to leave.

"ITACHI-KUUUNNN!" a familiar voice shrieked, and a woman latched onto his arm, beaming up at him. "You're coming, right? He would flip out if you didn't!"

Itachi, feeling slightly uncomfortable with Ino's proximity, frowned faintly. "I don't think he'd care," he tried again.

"Oh, hell no! Don't _make_ me get Sakura!" the blonde unknowingly echoed her best friend. She scowled up at him. "You're coming! Just try to have a little fun, eh?"

"W-we'd apreciate it, U-Uchiha-san," Hinata stammered as she approached behind her blonde friend.

Yamato laughed and waved. "You guys convince him to come. I have to get back to Naruto-kun now. He should be waking up about now, and I don't want him getting suspicious." He performed a quick transportation jutsu and vanished.

Ino smirked, leaning up against the Uchiha. "Heeyy, I know! Will you come if I promise to make sure you dance with For- I mean, Sakura-chan?"

Itachi gave her a skeptical look. "Why would she dance with me?" he asked slowly. His brow furrowed. "And what would make you think that that's adequate motivation?"

"Because you totally dig her," Ino retorted. "Honey, if anyone knows romance, it's me! And I've seen the way you watch her."

His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps, then, you are not as knowledgeable as you seem to think," he replied softly.

She shocked him into silence by flicking his nose. "Quit denying it. It just makes you look stupid," she admonished as he rubbed the offended spot. "Besides, Sakura-chan would dance with you! All you have to do is ask. Have I ever told you that you two would make an _amazingly_ cute couple?"

Itachi sighed and pulled his arm out of her grasp, grabbing her bicep to steady her when she stumbled. "I will think about it."

"Oh, please!" Ino whined, pouting at him. "I'll even leave you alone the whole night! No annoying advances from me!"

That was actually pretty tempting. While yes, the woman was attractive, he didn't generally go for blondes. They were too bubbly for him. He narrowed his eyes at her, wondering for a beat if she'd been planning it like this. "I will think about it," he repeated. "I must go. I have errands to run."

"Don't forget to pick up a present!" she yelped, and then pouted as he vanished in a cloud of smoke. "Wow. That must really get on Sakura's nerves..."

Hinata coughed, reminding Ino that she was there. "W-we should look into presents ourselves," she suggested shyly. "Do you know what h-he'd like?"

Ino smirked. "Yep!" When Hinata turned toward a store, a sinister and calculating expression crossed Ino's face. "All I need is ribbon..."

"D-did you say something?" Hinata asked, glancing back.

Ino beamed and pushed the other girl toward the store. "Nothing, nothing! Presents! C'mon!"

xXx

"I _can't_ believe I got roped into this," Sakura groaned, standing on a stool and reaching upward. She was trying to pin a banner onto the wall above the entrance, and Neji was standing below her, making verbal adjustments.

Tenten laughed at her. "It's not that bad. According to Ino, she ran into Itachi in town today, so you don't gotta worry about him being bored. He looked like he was on some sort of mission."

"Says Ino," Sakura retorted. "With her, we're all plotting something. He could have just been bored and wandering around."

Tenten snorted and randomly popped an orange balloon, then gave Neji an innocent look when he scowled at her. "What?"

"You're being a pest," he retorted.

"Oh, please," Tenten replied, rolling her eyes.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room with Lee and Kiba...

"YOSH! You are most certainly the epitome of YOUTH to be able to keep up with me!" Lee cried as he and Kiba raced to blow up balloons (and sometimes, 'blow up' was a pretty accurate description).

"STOP WASTING BALLOONS!" yelled Anko, smacking the both of them upside their heads. "Or I'll make you _fix_ 'em!"

Both boys winced, and Kiba secretly wondered what the scary woman was even doing here. Didn't she have Jonin stuff to do or something?

"I HEARD THAT!" She smacked him again, and Kiba flailed.

She could read minds! Holy shit!

"That's a sight for sore eyes," murmured Shino thoughtfully, eying the other group.

"Maybe she'll give them brain damage and they'll be demoted to genin again," Neji added somewhat hopefully.

Sakura gave them both a scowl. "Neji!" she barked, attracting his attention. "Is it straight?"

He narrowed his eyes at the banner, activating the Byakugan briefly. He shook his head. "No."

Tenten glanced at the banner, then at Neji. She frowned. "Neji, are you looking up her-"

He quickly covered her mouth and pulled out a book. "Shush."

Shino gave them both an annoyed look. Then he sighed and went back to what he was doing, mainly making a tally on what they still needed to get. Punch... strike out the alcohol someone had scribbled on here... Banners... check. He glanced around, then checked off balloons and ribbons. He scratched out another listing of alcohol, Vodka specifically, and wondered if Kiba had gotten his hands on the list.

He heard a crash and glanced up to see Neji doing a backflip away from a very irate Sakura. He sighed. This was going to be a long day.

xXx

Yamato heaved a sigh when Naruto announced a break. "Hey, we should take showers and go out or something," he suggested to the blond. "You've been working really hard on this..."

Naruto blinked at him, then shrugged. "Sure. Ramen? You paying?"

Yamato gave him a look. "I have a different idea," he said slowly. "If you don't mind. Something special. It _is_ your birthday, after all."

Naruto actually looked stunned for a beat. "It... well... You... know about that?" he got out finally.

Yamato's smile gentled. "Of course," he said. "C'mon. Let's take showers. Sakura-san's going to meet us at this address." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it over. "Meet you there in... half an hour?"

Naruto grinned brightly. "Hell yeah!" He waved and vanished with a small poof of smoke.

Yamato shook his head and picked up one of the kunai on the ground. Sighing, he put it in his holster and decided he'd return it later. "I hope they're done..."

xXx

**Thank you to Azhwi for all her help. Please read and review! Also, congrats to Akuma Chibi for being my 100****th**** reviewer!**


	18. On the Horizon

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 18**  
**On the Horizon**

xXx

Itachi was the last of the group to arrive, and as soon as he did, Sakura grabbed him and hid behind the punch table with Ino, Kiba and Shikamaru.

"Troublesome," muttered the younger male, but he nodded in greeting to the Uchiha.

"Yo!" Kakashi said, sneaking up behind Itachi. "How're you, Itachi-kun?"

Itachi blinked at the other sharringan user, then shrugged. "I am fine."

"I hear someone coming!" Tenten hissed. "Sssshhhh!" She grinned at Neji beside her.

Yamato, hiding near the back, crouched further down behind the wooden table he'd made. Silence descended, but the door didn't open.

"Hey, you told him to come here, right?" hissed Anko beside him.

Yamato, frowning, nodded. "Yes. He should be here soon..."

"Who're we waiting for?" a voice whispered directly behind the wood-user.

"Naruto," Anko said distractedly. "This is for him, idiot."

Pause.

"NARUTO!" the woman shrieked, reflexively trying to hit him, but he ducked.

Naruto beamed at the group that suddenly jerked around to look at him. Yamato realized what had happened and pulled the kunai out of his holster. "Naruto, that's _cheating_," he hissed.

"How the hell'd you do that?" Anko demanded, getting up to scowl at him. "We were gonna yell 'surprise', you nimrod!"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as Ino and Sakura stalked toward him. "I'm sorry! I was curious, and I felt the seal nearby, and wondered _why_it was here, so I followed it..."

"Na-ru-_to_," growled Sakura, advancing.

"Waaah! Sakura-chan, noooo!"

_CRASH!_

Ten minutes later, after Sakura and Ino were done beating the snot out of the birthday boy, and everyone had gotten over the shock of Naruto just randomly appearing in the back of the room (where there were no windows or doors), he was besieged by questions. Most of them were asking the same thing; "How'd you do that?"

Laughing sheepishly, and surrounded by his friends, the blond looked happier than Itachi had ever seen him. "It's a technique I've been practicing," Naruto explained once Sakura demanded explanation. "Um, it's the Yondaime's Hiraishin. I haven't perfected it yet, and I'm not as fast reflexively as he was, but I've got the mechanics down pretty well."

"Hiraishin?" Anko asked, blinking. She vaguely remembered seeing that technique in use. It would figure that Naruto would be able to use it almost as well as the Yondaime.

Sakura shook her head and smacked him one more time upside the head. "You idiot. You scared the crap out of poor Anko."

"Did not!" Anko protested, but was ignored.

"Aah, sorry, Sakura-chan," he said sheepishly. He looked around, smiling. "So this is all for me?"

Ino nodded. "Yup! And we've got presents, a cake... Oh, and a very special present just for you!"

"A special present?" the blond asked, blinking.

Sakura and Ino giggled their combined fangirl giggle. "Yup!" they chorused. Every male within five feet backed up rapidly. Except Itachi and Neji, since they were apparently unaffected.

"So what do you want to do first, Naruto?" Ino asked, smirking.

"Do you wanna open presents? Dance? Eat cake?" Sakura asked.

"We've also got regular food, of course, courtesy of Ichiraku-san," inserted Tenten, and they all beamed at the blond.

"_Lucky ass_," Neji muttered, and Kiba nodded in agreement.

Naruto thought about that for a moment, sitting on the floor, and then noticed someone was missing. "Hey, where's Hinata?" he asked, frowning. She hadn't come?

All three girls exchanged knowing looks before Tenten dragged the boy to his feet. "This way," she said.

"It's time for your special present," Ino decided.

"You'll have to thank Ino, of course," Sakura added. "It was all her idea."

Confused, the blond nonetheless let the women tug him to a big box on the other side of the room, where they shoved him forward. He blinked at the 'special present', somewhat suspicious of it's contents. The box, while big, was innocuous enough. Big blue bow, plain brown paper, and a tag that said 'to Naruto-kun, love (scratched out) FROM (underlined three times) Hinata' in Hinata's handwriting.

_Maybe she couldn't be here_? he thought to himself, and took out a kunai to cut the ribbon off. Once the silk had slithered to the floor, he unwrapped the box and pulled it open. He gaped at the contents.

"Hinata-chan!" he gasped, and reached in to help her out.

She was bright red with embarrassment. "N-Naruto-kun! I'm sorry! They ambushed me!" she mumbled quickly, stumbling and falling against his chest.

His arms automatically wrapped around her waist to steady her. "You're okay, though, right?" he asked worriedly, glancing over her for injuries.

She nodded, the action sending her tied up hair waving. "Y-yes," she stammered.

Cautiously, he touched the orange bow tying up her hair. She was dressed in a tiny, bright orange halter dress that went to about mid-thigh with a white ribbon tied around her neck like a choker. Her shoes were a strappy sort of heel, in a metallic white, and her nails - toe and finger - had been painted a lighter orange than her dress.

"You're pretty, Hinata-chan," he said softly.

She flushed darker red, and the only thing that kept her from fainting was the fact that if she did, she just _knew_he'd lose interest, or get worried. She fought off the dizziness and managed a nod.

Sakura grinned and helped Ino and Tenten usher the others away for snacks while Naruto and Hinata had a quiet moment. "They're so cute!" Ino hissed to her when they were far enough away.

Sakura nodded, glancing back at the couple. "Definitely. And hopefully now, he'll focus on her and not me."

"So _that_is your motivation," a voice whispered in her ear.

She jumped and spun, hand over her heart. "Gods, Itachi! Don't sneak up on people like that!" she scolded.

He smirked faintly. "I apologize. I was merely curious. What else do you ladies have in store? Would it be safer for me to go home right now?"

Sakura laughed. "Nah, it's fine. I mean, we thought about games, but really, it'd just get dangerous."

"And troublesome," Shikamaru inserted from beside Ino.

"Yeah, and that," Ino said, nudging her friend with a smile.

He rolled his eyes and grumbled. "I'm going to go make sure Choji doesn't eat everything," he said, and went toward the snack tables in one corner of the room.

Neji had played his part and turned on some music somewhere, so Sakura smiled at Itachi. He suddenly held out a hand, cutting off her question before she'd opened her mouth to ask it. "Would you join me for a dance?" he asked softly.

Her heart skipped a few beats, but she managed to smile and nod, taking his hand. Dancing with Itachi, huh? Well, he _was_cute, she thought vaguely, then shook her head. It was just a dance. No need to bother with Ino's hinting at their supposed relationship.

They didn't have a relationship.

The noise picked up, and Kiba suddenly snagged Ino, dragging her out onto the unofficial dance floor, much to her surprise. "Let's dance, huh?" he said, grinning at her.

She beamed back at him. "Sure, sure, baa-ka," she teased, and laughed at his scowl. She glanced toward Naruto, just in time to see him and Hinata vanish from sight with barely a wisp of smoke. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. What was that pervert up to?

xXx

One stomach-dropping moment later, and Hinata realized they were no longer at the party. They were alone, standing on an unfamiliar training field. A spike of nervousness shot up her spine when she looked up at the smiling Naruto.

"Aah, sorry, Hinata-chan. It was loud there. Is it okay if we just talk here?" he asked softly.

And she realized. This was Naruto, turning her down. Her shoulders drooped. "H-hai..."

He smiled and walked her over to a tree, sitting down with her. "You're _really_pretty tonight, Hinata-chan," he said again, and smiled at her when she flushed and ducked her head.

"F-for you," she mumbled.

Blue eyes widened. "For me? Why? And why'd they put you in a box, anyway?" he asked, sounding completely puzzled by it.

She almost fell over. He _didn't get it_? And she'd thought he was turning her down! "A p-p-present, N-Naruto-kun," she stammered, turning redder. "M-me..."

"Huh?" He placed a warm hand on her forehead, checking for a fever. "You okay, Hinata-chan? You don't have a fever, but you're all red. Maybe you should cut back on the red meat, yeah?" He smiled good-naturedly at her.

Her heart sank and she sighed. "No... I l-l-l-like..."

His hand over her mouth stopped her, and she looked up at him in shock. He sighed and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "Not now, Hinata-chan," he whispered. "Let's keep it like this, for now. Friends."

_He __**is**_ _turning me down_, she thought, feeling sick to her stomach. Naruto-kun didn't like her. He'd never liked her. "W-why?" she asked, swallowing. She may as well, if he didn't like her anyway.

"I have to finish," he said, leaning back against the tree and pulling her against his side in an unexpected move. "I've got to get strong, and bring Sasuke back, Hinata-chan. I can't... I don't have time to focus on girls." Despite his words, he turned his head and buried it in her hair. "Not even one as pretty as you..."

She didn't know what she should think. His words were letting her down gently. His actions spoke of a desire to hold onto her. Finally, she gulped and reached the hand closest to him up, threading her fingers gently through his hair. "I-I unders-stand," she stuttered.

He smiled, and she could feel it. "I'm glad you do, Hinata-chan." He sighed and relaxed against her fully. "And maybe, after I've got Sasuke back... then we could talk? Would you wait for me, Hinata-chan?"

Her heart was drumming in her chest, but she managed to nod. "Yes, I will, Naruto-kun," she breathed happily.

He grinned and sat up, looking genuinely happy. "Great!" He got to his feet and held out a hand. "Let's go back, huh? Before Sakura-chan thinks I'm being a pervert or something."

She flushed and took his hand, letting him help her up and pull her close. "O-" A moment's dizziness, followed by an explosion of sound, "-kay." She blinked, glancing around, and found that they were standing by the box again. She watched him pick up a kunai from the floor.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out his hand again.

xXx

Sakura dragged herself out of bed at ten in the morning and zombie-walked into the kitchen, eyes closed. She _felt_like a zombie, too. Gods, she wasn't staying up that late when she had sparring in the morning ever again. When had she gone to bed? Hell, maybe like six am?

"Good morning, Sakura-san," Itachi said, pulling a chair out of her path and watching her walk up to the coffee pot. "Opening your eyes helps, you know."

She gave him the bird and grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. Her fingers quested for the coffee pot, then clasped the handle and she finally cracked an eye open.

Itachi snorted and continued eating his fish and rice, eying her as she poured the coffee and finally sat down. He noted that she'd finally opened her eyes. "See? Much more helpful, ne?"

"Shut. Up," she growled and downed the coffee in one go.

He winced faintly. Ouch. "Didn't that hurt?"

She gave him a murderous look and lifted one glowing hand to her throat. After a beat, she sighed and went to make some toast. Uhg, was he always so chipper in the morning? Well, chipper for Itachi. And when the hell had he even got up? Then again, he'd left for home around midnight, after a _very_drunk Ino had tried to seduce him.

After that, Ino had tried to seduce Shikamaru, who had made a disgusted noise before shoving her at Choji, who'd yelped and shoved her at Kakashi. Who had tried to take her up on her offer, only for Kiba to snatch her away and make off with her.

Sakura hadn't seen her best friend since. She thought about going to find Ino, but then decided against it. Ino needed to get laid, and anyway, she could take care of herself. It wasn't like Kiba would hurt her, so Sakura didn't worry.

Sitting down with her freshly buttered and jellied toast, she was a little surprised to find a new cup of coffee where she'd left her empty mug. She looked up at Itachi to find him reading the newspaper. He apparently didn't notice her scrutiny.

"Man, I feel like shit," she said, and dropped her head onto the table.

The crinkling of the newspaper preceded his reply. "That's what happens when you get three and a half hours sleep." He flicked the newspaper to straighten it.

"Smartass," she retorted, and turned her head to take a bite of toast without lifting it.

"Mm. I heard Hokage-sama joined after I left?" Another flick of the paper.

She shrugged. "Eh. If you could call it that. Actually, drunk Kakashi showed up in her bedroom asking for kisses, so she came and broke up the party and complaining. We weren't able to find Kakashi-sensei, though."

"I don't imagine so. She probably buried him somewhere. Check his favorite training grounds later."

She nodded and finally sat up, popping the last bite of toast into her mouth before taking a hesitant sip of her coffee. Just like she liked it. "How'd you know how to make this?" she asked, eying him suspiciously.

"I am quite observant," he replied, shrugging, and finally folded up the newspaper.

She made a face and snagged it, getting out the funnies before tossing the rest back at him. "Stalker."

He smirked at her and changed the subject. "I have held up my end of the deal. You must honor your's."

She blinked at him, brow furrowing. "What?"

"The bed," he clarified. "I had a new one made."

Green eyes widened briefly. "Really? Where is it?" she asked, grinning excitedly.

He scooted his chair back and gestured for her to follow him. Outside, sitting at the bottom of the stairs leading down from the porch, was a bed that wasn't at all like she'd expected. It was Western styled, like Itachi's bed, and four-postered, but that was where the similarities ended. Itachi's bed was black, this one was a soft cozy-looking brown.

The head board was one whole panel reaching from the floor up to the end of the posts, whereas Itachi's merely consisted of the posts themselves. Carved into the board was her family crest, painted in the correct colors. She could still smell the drying paint. The foot-board went from the floor and up about two feet above the bed, and also had her crest though unpainted.

Each of the posts were carved and smoothed into spirals from the top edge of the foot board up, and the floor up for the ones in the back. The matress he'd apparently had made was leaning up against the porch floor from the ground, and the bed was naked of any dressing.

She blinked at him and trotted down the steps, touching the carved unpainted crests at the foot. Two of them side-by-side. "You had this _made_?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded. "Yes. Do you like it?"

"Like it?" she echoed, and turned around to jump back up the stairs. She hugged him and grinned. "I love it!"

He hesitantly returned the hug and then released her, hoping she hadn't noticed how his pulse had picked up. Was it unnaturally loud? Or perhaps that was just him. He swallowed a sigh. He was so doomed. "I'm glad," he said. "Go ahead to your sparring match. I'll have it swapped out for my bed."

She snorted and swatted his arm lightly. "You just want your bed back."

"Aa. Am I that obvious?" he replied, and smirked.

Sakura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Not at all. I'm still trying to figure you out." Sighing, she stepped around him. "Anyway, I've gotta get ready and meet Genma at the training grounds. He wanted to make sure he's in working order since his release from the hospital yesterday."

Itachi nodded, watching her walk back inside. He sighed and went to sit on the bench on the porch. It was good to be back to normal...

xXx

The redhead stepped into the half-open door of her master's room, staring at his form on the bed. He had his back to her, to the door, apparently unconcerned that someone might come in and bother him. She swallowed. "Sasuke-sama?"

He didn't so much as twitch. "What."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "... I made some food. You should eat."

Abruptly, he threw his pillow across the room at her. "GET OUT!" he roared, glaring at her furiously. He didn't activate the Sharringan. In fact, she hadn't seen it since he'd returned.

"Sorry!" she yelped, running from the room. She got halfway down the hall before she leaned back against a wall and closed her eyes. He hadn't lost! He'd told them that much! So... why was he so angry?

Sasuke got up to retrieve his pillow, slamming the door shut in the process. Then he leaned his back against it and slid to the floor, holding the pillow against his chest. His eyes burned. His Sharringan burned, and he couldn't use it. What the hell did Itachi poison him with? That bastard.

xXx

"Any word on Sasuke?" Tsunade asked, resting her chin on her clasped hands.

Shikamaru before her shook his head. "No. The team you sent out to keep an eye on his known locations have reported back. There's been nothing from him since Itachi gave him the dose of chakra poison. He's probably sitting in a cave somewhere licking his wounds."

The Hokage sighed. "And Naruto? Yamato says he's working on the _Hiraishin_, of all things."

Shikamaru nodded. "He's nearly perfected it. He used it to pop in last night at the party. Apparently, Yamato had picked up a marked kunai, and Naruto sensed it and got curious. After that, Naruto told Yamato to keep it." He shrugged.

"I see..." Tsunade sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, looking thoughtful. "He seems to have redoubled his efforts to capture Sasuke recently."

Shikamaru looked away, shrugging again. "I guess..."

Honey eyes narrowed. "Shikamaru. What do you know?"

"Troublesome," he muttered, then looked her right in the eye. "All I know is that he seems scared. Ever since Itachi "died", it's like Naruto's been chased by some demon. Maybe he thinks that the same thing could happen to Sasuke. I don't know, really. I just know what I've seen."

Tsunade didn't comment on his ironic choice of words. "See if you can't find out _why_ he's scared," she murmured. "For sure, I mean. Because I really don't care to find out what Naruto would do when scared, especially after that display the night Itachi-san was executed. I can_not_afford to have him doing things that will mess up what we're trying to achieve."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, you're right." He sighed again. "How troublesome..."

xXx

"Alive?" Pein frowned at Zetsu. "I thought Konoha executed him."

"Apparently not," the plant man replied softly, and then growled out, "_He's good at escaping by the skin of his goddamn teeth_." And he fell sheepishly silent.

Pein sighed and leaned back against the tree he sat under. "I see." He looked up at the woman sitting in the boughs, then back at Zetsu. "Please tell Tobi-san and Deidara-san this news. They are to go get as much intel on the situation as possible."

After Zetsu sank into the ground without comment, Konan dropped lightly from her tree branch. "Deidara? Are you sure?"

"_He_will want to know." Pein frowned. "And anyway, Deidara's contacts are numerous. He has at least one in Konoha, and no one else has managed that in our group. They're perfect for this. For now, anyway. They're a lot less likely to get into trouble than Kakuzu and Hidan, at any rate."

She nodded reluctantly, though she would have personally liked to go. At any rate, what was done was done. "Very well."

xXx

Naruto completed the jutsu and flickered from Yamato's view, appearing somewhere in an unknown forest. Frowning, he glanced around for a minute before realizing he was near a hot spring just outside of the Konoha property lines. He looked down at his feet, not entirely surprised to find a pile of clothing - including a tagged orange hair ribbon - folded neatly on top of a stump.

Cautiously, he tiptoed toward the hot spring and peeked around a tree. Sure enough, there she was, relaxing in the water. It covered everything vital (unfortunately for Naruto). Naruto grinned and pulled back, turned away. He'd perfected it! The Hiraishin was now _his_!

_Take that, Yondaime_! he thought victoriously.

Behind him, he heard Hinata yelp suddenly. "Wh-who's there?" she cried, ducking as far into the water as she could. She'd heard a noise, and just to be safe, had checked the area with her Byakugan. Imagine her shock when she realizing someone was actually _there_!

Naruto tensed and panicked for a beat, then remembered. _Hiraishin. Duh_. He mentally apologized to Hinata and flickered from view.

Hinata blinked when the person from behind the tree just _vanished_. Oh no! Who had been peeking on her? Oh, she just might _die_ of embarrassment! This was almost as bad as the time Naruto-kun had accidentally caught her near the stream. Not _quite_as bad, though. If that had been Naruto, she actually might have just fainted and then drown in the hot spring.

Thankfully it hadn't been. Naruto-kun would have said something, after all.

Shaking her head, she quickly got out and went to get her clothing, afraid whoever it was would come back.

xXx

Yamato was eating out of a bento when Naruto returned, and quirked a brow at the blond's flushed face. "Caught her naked?" he guessed, not really serious.

"NO! Why would she be naked! And who are you talking about. What her!" the blond panicked, flailing his arms about.

Yamato paused, brow furrowing. He stared at Naruto for a moment. "Naruto-kun... were you spying on Hinata-san in the bath?" he asked slowly.

"No! Hot spring! I mean, NO!" Naruto shook his head frantically.

Yamato's eyes widened and he leaned forward, gaze unblinking as he stared at the blond. "Tell me, Naruto-kun," he said softly.

Naruto scrambled away. "Oi! Qu-quit it with the c-c-creepy eyes!" he yelped, wanting to escape Yamato's intense gaze.

"Tell me," the wood-user insisted, still not blinking.

Naruto shuddered and slumped. "It's nothing! Really!" he lied. "It was an accident, okay? I swear it was! I was just testing it, and I saw her in the spring. I didn't expect her to be in the spring!"

Yamato, satisfied, leaned back and eyed the younger male. "That's not very gentlemanly," he pointed out. "It's actually pretty indecent. Have you learned nothing from getting your head bashed in by Sakura-chan?"

"No," Naruto replied smartly, sticking his tongue out. He jerked away when Yamato nearly caught it. "OI!"

Yamato frowned at him. "Good things come to those who wait," he said mysteriously. "Rather than peeking on women, have you tried courting one instead?"

Naruto turned slightly red. Courting one? Just how old _was_this guy? Who 'courted' anyway? "No," he answered honestly.

"You should."

"I didn't ask you, old man," Naruto retorted, frowning. He didn't have _time_for that stuff!

Yamato snagged the blond around the head, giving him a noogie. "I'm not that old, idiot! I'm only twenty eight!"

"Waaah! No way! I thought you were older than that!" Naruto protested, flailing.

"Baka!"

xXx

**XD Yes, he really is that young. Az thought he was older too. I love you, Az! And I love everyone else. I beg for a moment of your time to leave a review. They often inspire me and also let me know that people are actually looking forward to reading more chapters.**

**So please review! Thanks.**


	19. ch 18b special Valentines Update

**I Spy**  
**Chapter 18.5**  
**Valentine's Day Special Update Omake**

xXx

We will now take a slight detour from your normal updates to have a special Valentine's omake, because, quite frankly, the authoress is a romantic at heart despite the torture she puts her characters through on a weekly basis, and the torture that has yet to come (yay run-on sentences).

Today, we open in Sunagakure, in the Kaze no Kuni, specifically the Kazekage's office. A letter has just arrived, marked urgent, for everyone's favorite redhead. A nin dashes into the Kazekage's office.

"Kazekage-sama! A letter! It's marked urgent, sir, from Ame."

Gaara blinks and takes the scroll from the man, dismissing him. Nin extra one exits stage right. The focus is brought onto Gaara, who begins to read the letter out loud for absolutely no reason at all, other than for the readers (and non-existent audience) to know what it says.

"'Dear Gaara-kun,  
Love, love, I love you from the bottom of my heart. I desire to see your face, and kiss your mouth. Love love! My heart pounds at just the thought of your seafoam eyes, and your pale ivory skin. My breath catches in my throat at the mere word of you! I love you! Come see me,  
Love, Tobi.'"

Gaara sighs. "Not again. Kankuro!"

Enter; Kankuro, stage left. Kankuro is eating a bowl of cereal as he approaches. "Yo. What's up?"

"I got another love letter from 'Tobi'. Burn it." Gaara hands the letter over, Kankuro takes it and exits stage left.

The scene fades to black, and there is a brief pause. Then the lights return, and the scene is that of the Hokage tower. Jiraiya is standing at the base, outside, holding a heart-shaped box of chocolates and singing at the top of his lungs.

"Oh, maiden _fair_, let down your _hair_, for I desire thee, my princess pea!" he yodels, clutching the heart dramatically. "Set down your drink, ignore the sink, for I wish, to have your kiss~ Abandon the sake, my dear Tsunade, my princess of ninjas, for I want in ya-" The world will never, ever know how that song ended, for at that moment, Tsunade's desk came flying out the window to crush Jiraiya flat.

Front right stage is suddenly illuminated, revealing Gai in his usual spandex suit... except, for some reason, it's bright neon pink. This is followed by a pause to let the audience adjust to this horrifying picture. Then Gai speaks.

"Little did Princess Tsunade know, that Jiraiya was far better than that. For it was _not_ he who was crushed. Instead, he performed an instantaneous substitution jutsu, replacing himself with the unfortunate Ibiki."

The light dims on Gai, and brightens on 'Jiraiya'. Indeed, Ibiki is twitching beneath the desk. "Mommy..."

The scene darkens.

When the lights return again, we are in Tsunade's office, where she's snoring on her desk (having been retrieved and the unfortunate Ibiki carted off to the hospital). A shadowy figure approaches, and sets a scroll down by her nose. It backs away and exit's stage right.

Tsunade wakes and sits up. Sees the scroll and opens it. She reads aloud, once again for the benefit of the audience.

"'Dearest Princess Tsunade-chan,  
Oh how I have missed your golden locks-' oh, come on, this again? Why the hell do I have to read this crap?"

Gai walks on stage and whispers in her ear before leaving. Tsunade grumbles but continues.

"'Oh how I have missed...' blah blah blah 'honey-colored eyes'... blah blah, yadda yadda, 'wonderful assets' oh what else is new, you dirty pervert? 'Love, your dearest Tobi-kun'. Go jump off a bridge, you stupid brat!" Tsunade throws the scroll out a window and pulls out a jug of sake. The stage dims to the sound of her gulping.

A few minutes pass, with the stage still dark, when someone hisses loudly, "_Shikamaru, you lazy ass, get on stage! This is no time for a nap_!" This is followed by a loud thwap and shuffled footsteps. A brief pause, and the lights go on again to the Ichiraku ramen stand.

Shikamaru is sitting at the bar, waiting with Choji for a bowl of ramen. Suddenly, Anko appears, running across the stage from stage left to pause front center stage, staring out at the audience. "Oh my god, oh my god, I saw his _face_! HE'S SEXY AS SHIT!" She wails in distress and runs off stage again, stage right.

Shikamaru and Choji turn belatedly on their stools. "Did you hear something?" Shikamaru asks.

"Something about space," Choji replies.

They shrug and go back to waiting for food. A brief pause, before Kakashi appears from stage left, walking along slowly. He stops by the ramen stand and taps Shikamaru's shoulder. "You didn't happen to see where Anko went, did you? I have to silence her." He turns his head to narrow one eye at the audience. "_Permanently_."

There's a flicker of light resembling lightening, and the ominous rumbling of thunder, before - apparently satisfied, Kakashi returns his attention to Shikamaru.

"She was yelling about space and ran off toward the Hokage tower," the Nara says.

"Much obliged," Kakashi says, and disappears in a poof of smoke.

From off stage...

"KAKASHI-SENSEI, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE JUTSU!"

"Mah, really? Sorry, Sakura-chan, I must have forgotten!"

This is followed by excessive, painful sounding noises that are ignored by those on stage.

Anko rushes back on to center stage, whispers something to Gai, and runs off again. The spot light focuses on Gai, who clears his throat. "Unfortunately, the 'Anko running away from Kakashi' gag will have to be canceled, due to Kakashi's sudden inability to participate." He sniffs. "My rival! This is so like him! Coolly interrupting our good fun! How unyouthful!" He shakes his head, glancing nervously off stage where Sakura has pinned him with a glare and is cracking her knuckles. "Anyway."

The light fades over the stage.

"_Itachi! No, you have to! Yes! … I'll tell Sakura on you_."

A pause follows, and the stage brightens, revealing Itachi in a traditional hitarare kimono, black in color, with white tabi and a pair of waraji placed on the floor beside him. He sits seiza on a straw mat, face expressionless and hair tied up in it's usual style.

A few female audience members swoon and faint. Itachi appears not to notice. "I am awaiting the arrival of Sakura-san."

A pause. "Sakura-san."

Silence.

"_Where the heck is that Forehead? Oh. Um, hang on Itachi_."

Itachi sighs softly, but stays where he is, back rigid and gaze uncompromising. A moment passes, before Sakura, dressed in a navy blue yukata decorated with pink sakura blossoms, dashes onstage. "Oh, Itachi! Sorry I'm late! That damn Ino is so nosy!"

Itachi rises smoothly to his feet (several more fangirls faint) and bows. "It is fine. Let us go." The stage dims briefly, then brightens to reveal a gaily decorated restaurant with plenty of flowered plants and a table. A waitress (Tenten) seats them and exits stage right.

Sakura smiles at Itachi. "This is so lovely, Itachi. Thank you for inviting me."

He inclines his head. "Of course, Sakura-san."

Suddenly, Tenten rushes back onstage, holding a scroll. "Itachi-san, a message for you, from the border. It doesn't say who it's from, though." She hands it over.

Itachi takes it, sighing, and unrolls it, then hesitates. Sakura elbows him, so he reads it aloud.

"'Itachi.  
You weasel bastard, I hope you die. GO TO HELL.  
Love, the one who will kill you.'"

Itachi sighs. "Really, Sasuke, how immature."

Sakura smiles. "So who's it from?"

The stage dims.

The spot light appears on Gai again. "Final act," he says, and the light dims. He is gone when the stage brightens again.

The stage is set like a typical Ame living room. A masked figure is leaning over the coffee table with an ink brush, writing something on scroll parchment.

Pein enters stage right. He walks over and snatches the parchment up. "So it _was_ you. What the hell is wrong with you?"

The masked man, Tobi, sits up and smiles innocently, though no one can tell. "What do you mean? Tobi's a good boy."

Pein reads the parchment aloud, pointedly.

"'Dearest wonderful Hinata,  
I love the sight of your eyes, you are wonderful-' I repeat, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Boredom?" Tobi asks, shrugging. He snatches the page back. "Don't worry. I won't send to the one from Konan."

The scene dims.

Silence follows, then, "SHIKAMARU, YOU LAZY ASS!"

~_Finis_

xXx

**And there's your Valentine's Day special. Worry not, I'll be updating I Spy for real on Wednesday.**

**Reviews make me happy. And for the sake of this story, you want me happy. Very, very happy.**


	20. ch 19 Hormones

**I Spy****  
****Chapter 19****  
****Hormones******

xXx****

Naruto blinked himself awake, laying sprawled on his bed. He frowned, feeling something on his forehead, and reached up. Carefully, he lifted a centipede and eyed it. "Huh?"****

**"**Good, you're awake," a voice said, and Naruto nearly shrieked.****

He sat up straight, staring at the hooded figure standing at the end of his bed. "Sh-sh-shino!" he cried, panicking briefly. Oh, no, Shino had found out about the hot spring! And now he'd come to claim Naruto's soul! "W-w-what are you d-d-doing here!"****

Shino stared at him (or at least, Naruto thought he was being stared at) for a few minutes. "Hinata..."****

_Oh shit I'm gonna die_, Naruto thought, eyes wide. "Y-yeah?"****

**"**You sound like Hinata," Shino said after another pause.****

Naruto gave a slightly hysterical bark of laughter. "Y-y-yeah? O-o-okay..."****

Silence. Shino wondered if Naruto was on some sort of drug product. Obviously, because the blond had never acted like this towards him before. He sighed. "I have come to ask your intentions, Naruto-kun."****

**"**No intentions!" Naruto yelped without even thinking.****

Silence. The centipede squirmed between Naruto's fingers. He dropped it. It quickly escaped to the foot of the bed, and Shino picked it up, letting it go up his sleeve. "No intentions?"****

Naruto gulped. "F-f-for now. S-S-Sasuke... gotta... g-g-get Sasuke... first..."****

**"**I see..." Shino sighed again. Perhaps Naruto was gay? He was acting like Hinata did around him, and she did it because she had a crush on the blond. Maybe Naruto had a similar reaction around his beloved? …. Ew. Shino suppressed a shudder. "And then?"****

**"**T-t-then... then... Um..." Naruto drew a blank. Then? Then what? He wasn't sure, actually. "Um... Well... then..." He blinked. Wait, so Shino didn't know about the hot spring? Naruto could cry with relief. "Well, I told her then we'd talk about it?"****

Shino nodded thoughtfully. The stutter was gone. Perhaps it had been for another reason then (he could not help his relief at this thought). "Good. You will treat her with respect." Pause. "Or I will kill you."****

**"**S-s-sure!" Oh no. He was going to _die_!****

The stutter was back. Fear? Shino smirked, and the blond scrambled away from him. "Good. Then we understand each other?"**  
****  
****"**Yep! Sure!" Naruto yelped, voice high pitched with terror.****

**"**Good." Shino reached down and picked a large beetle up off of the blankets. "Have a good day, Naruto-kun," he said, and walked out of Naruto's room. A beat later, the front door clicked shut.****

Naruto slumped on the bed. Oh gods, did he just see his life flash before his eyes?****

xXx****

Sakura blinked at Naruto as the blond approached her and her sparring partner of the day. "Naruto? What're you doing here?"****

**"**I think I gave the wrong impression, so I wanted to apologize!" the boy explained, pointing at Shino.****

Shino did not reply. He was staring (or at least Sakura _thought_he was staring) at the bag in Naruto's hands. "What's that?" Sakura asked after a beat.****

**"**His favorite foods!" Naruto chirped.****

**"**... my what?" Shino asked, leaning slightly back.****

Sakura frowned. "How the heck do you know his favorite foods?"****

**"**He told me! A while ago... we were on a mission, and he started randomly telling me stuff, 'cause of teamwork, but anyway, here!" He held out the bag and Shino cautiously took it.****

Silence fell. "What is this?" Shino asked.****

**"**Wild grass and winter melon!" Naruto said, pouting. Personally, he didn't get the grass thing, but whatever.****

**"**... this looks like lawn grass, Naruto-kun," Shino said.****

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Okay, so it's not _wild_... but it's the thought that counts, right?"****

If anything, this seemed to make Shino wilt a bit. He sighed and pulled out a piece of watermelon, nibbling on it. "I like _wild grass salad_," he said after a moment. "But the melon is okay."****

Sakura rolled her eyes toward the sky. "Naruto, do you _ever_listen to a word anybody says?" she asked irritably.****

**"**Yes!" Naruto retorted, offended. "I got the melon right! Even if I forgot the salad thing..."****

Shino frowned faintly but got out another piece of melon. This was actually pretty good, he mused. Where _had_the blond gotten it? He gave Naruto a glance, and then frowned. No, maybe he didn't want to know.****

xXx**  
****  
**Sakura was a little later getting home that night than she'd planned, but walking in to find Ino sitting _that_close to Itachi made her stand stock-still in the door of the living room. Both glanced up, and their stares lingered. Ino's face paled rapidly and Itachi's brow arching in mild confusion.****

**"**Hi, For- Sakura," Ino said nervously, attracting a brief glance from the Uchiha sitting next to her.****

In those first few seconds, Sakura was frozen in place. The bottom of her stomach dropped out, and she swallowed. Somehow, she felt like crying, but told herself that was silly. There wasn't anything between her and Itachi. They weren't a couple or anything. Ino had already told her ages ago that if Sakura really wasn't interested, the blonde would pounce.****

And Sakura had been saying for a while that she wasn't interested. Or had she? No, just that there wasn't anything between them. That stung greater than anything, and she realized, no there wasn't, but that didn't mean she didn't want there to be. Itachi was handsome, and a gentleman, and even very sweet in his own way. He always considered her feelings and never let her run away just because a situation got uncomfortable, which generally solved a lot of problems quickly and efficiently. Just his style.****

Hell, the guy was practically perfect, and she'd just missed out. She drew a shaky breath and then smiled brightly at them. "Oh! Sorry for interrupting! I'm gonna go take a shower and go to bed," she almost gushed. "I'm exhausted! Have fun!" With that, she fled.****

Or, she tried to. Before she quite knew it, he'd somehow got around the couch and stood next to her, fingers clamped around her wrist like an iron vise. His eyes were narrowed in irritation, and when she pulled at her arm, she found that like always he was refusing to relinquish his grip.****

**"**Itachi-"****

**"**No," he said, frowning slightly.****

**"**But-"****

**"**No." He shook his head, and waited patiently for her to give up. He turned to look at Ino. "Thank you for your assistance, Yamanaka-san. You can find the door, I presume?"****

Ino nodded quickly. "Uh huh! You go talk her down!" she said, waving him off and scooping up an armful of catalogues. "I have to meet Shika in ten minutes anyway!"****

Sakura didn't quite know what to say as her best friend quickly departed, and so she didn't say anything. She waited. It wasn't like she could go anywhere, and anyway a part of her didn't want to. Once the blonde was gone, Itachi ushered her to the couch and made her sit down.****

**"**We need to speak, I believe," he said slowly, sitting down with her. He had yet to release her wrist. Taking a deep breath, he visibly forced himself to relax and finally loosened his grip on her. "Sakura-sa- no. Sakura."****

She swallowed and lifted her brows, wondering what he was going to say. After a beat, she coughed. "Yes?"****

**"**I want..." He stopped, pressed his lips together, and studied her face. "Would you like to have dinner with me?"****

Sakura blinked, and arched a brow. She glanced over her shoulder in the general direction of the kitchen. "Uh..."****

**"**A date, Sakura. You're not that dense," he chided.****

Silence. _Oh_, she thought blankly. Then, _**Oh**_. More silence. She scrambled suddenly for something to say, and managed a terse, "What."****

Itachi's eyes narrowed, but he dismissed the thought that she was being deliberately obtuse instantly. Then revisited it. Actually, she probably was. Sighing, he decided to elaborate. "You and I. I want us to go out, for dinner, on a date. Enjoy conversation, have a nice time and maybe, just maybe, do it again if we like it."****

Randomly, she thought about the end of date kiss. Would it be weird? They lived in the same house. _Wait, back up, Sak. We're still in the 'he's asking me out' phase! Don't get ahead of yourself!_Shaking her head, she gave him a tiny smile. "Um... sure?" she ventured, feeling slightly shy. Her brow furrowed then. "What was that with Ino, though?"****

He sighed and released her hand to rub the back of his neck, as if the mere thought of the blonde exhausted him. She could sympathize. "I was thinking about putting in a garden. I had asked her to consult me on seasonal flowers and plants."****

**'**Oh,' she mouthed, and fell silent. For a moment, it was awkward, but then as she lapsed into thought, it became almost comfortable. She was thinking about the idea of dating Itachi. Going out with him. For real. They already shared a house, but she'd pretty much chalked that up to coincidence.****

Ino had tried to convince her that it was fate yesterday, and Sakura had nearly died with mortification when Lee overheard and bounded over to exclaim over their youthfulness. Which had inevitably drawn in Gai, and then Kakashi who yawned and somehow walked away with a spar date with Gai and- Sakura cut off that line of thought, shuddering.****

Kakashi and Gai. Those two always either freaked her out or pissed her off. Sighing, she looked up to find Itachi watching her. She forgot what she'd been about to say for a beat, and luckily he got there first.****

He sat up. "When do we want to go?" he asked, then added, "I mean, we'll have to pick a time when we don't have work or..." He stopped, refusing to say 'something', and tried a different approach. "Saturday?"****

She blinked and thought back through her schedule, brow furrowing. "Well, I don't have anything planned for then, yet, but that's still five days away." And a lot could change in five days. They were shinobi, after all.****

The Uchiha quirked a brow. "Are you impatient for something, Sakura?" he asked, and his voice was almost a purr, and _damn_, did she _know_he could talk like that?****

Sakura felt her face heating up entirely without her permission. "No," she said instantly, and then winced internally. "I mean... well, I... um, you just..." She stopped and scowled when she realized he was silently laughing at her. "You're doing that on purpose!" she accused, poking at his chest.****

He caught her finger and smirked faintly. "Doing what, Sakura?" he asked, voice the same silk and melted chocolate. He tugged on her hand and then clasped the rest of it between long fingers, bringing it up to his lips. Butterflies danced in her stomach when he kissed each knuckle, not once looking away from her eyes.****

**… **damn. Just damn. "Uh..." She swallowed, unable to look away. Apparently, he didn't even _need_the Sharringan to hypnotize her. "I... um..." She'd been trying to say something, hadn't she? Like... what was it... something... yeah. That was it. Something.****

Itachi finally looked down at her hand and turned it over, pressing a kiss to her palm before releasing her from his grasp. "Have you eaten?"****

Sakura blinked, feeling at a sudden loss once she realized he'd released her from his spell. The butterflies in her stomach panicked briefly before dying under the embarrassed wrath of the long-since-seen Inner Sakura. "Um, yeah. Earlier," she said, shaking her head. What the hell? Why in the world was she acting like some... some... skittish sixteen year old?****

It wasn't until he'd walked off, saying something about a long soak in a bath, that she realized she had one of Naruto's trademark goofy grins on her face. She couldn't bring herself to wipe it away.****

xXx****

_Sitting alone, cold, angry... the fury is enough to warm him. He's so angry. So pissed. On his knee, his fingers tighten in their fist, and he ignores the ache. Suddenly, he's moving. A picture on the bedstand shatters._****

_Silence falls, and slowly he gets to his feet. He steps silently across the room, hurting all over. He shivers, and picks up the fallen picture frame. Inside... a family. He's beaming up at the camera, with a woman behind him holding him and smiling with equal brilliance. To his left stands a figure with their face cut from the picture, but he knows it's Itachi. Behind them all stands an imposing male. His father._****

_The picture drops from numb fingers and he spins on his heel. The door shatters with Chidori, and fury, and hatred._****

**"**_ITACHIIII!"_****

xXx****

Sakura screamed as she sat up in bed, soaked in chilling sweat. Her eyes were wide, her hands holding kunai- two each. For a moment, the sight of Itachi standing in her doorway infuriated her, and she almost threw the weapons. He tensed, but she didn't move.****

Silence fell, broken only by her panting. Finally, Itachi stepped into the room and moved over to her side, around the foot of her bed. He gently took the kunai from first her right hand - the closest to him - and then her left, setting them down on the bedstand. He sat on the bed next to her and brushed sweat-damp hair from her face.****

**"**Sakura?" he said softly, brow furrowed.**  
****  
**She shuddered and slumped against him, closing her eyes. "Oh my god," she whispered, feeling his arms encircle her. "Oh my god... Oh my god..." It was all she could seem to make herself say.****

He gently rubbed her back, the action soothing her more than any words he could have said. She slid her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt, biting her lip to keep back the tears. They stayed that way for a very long time.****

xXx****

Somewhere around half an hour later, Itachi felt her shift against him. She hadn't cried, but for a while he had almost thought she would. When he'd heard her scream and run to the room, the first thought he had was that she was being attacked, but it was only a nightmare. Still, the look in her eyes when she saw him was... It was the look in Sasuke's eyes when they met. Full of anger and hatred and a sorrow so deep it almost broke his heart.****

It made him wonder what she'd dreamed, but he was hesitant to ask. Especially since she'd offered no sort of explanation for it. She hadn't even tried to tell him. She'd just curled up in his lap and hung on to him like he would disappear again. Eventually, he'd decided that he wouldn't pry and would let her tell him if she thought he should know.****

It was the best course of action, even if he wanted to ask her anyway.****

Sakura disrupted his thoughts at that moment. She stirred, and suddenly shoved him over so that he was laying on his back with her on top of him. She crawled up him to straddle his waist and then stared down at him. Their eyes met, and he was somewhat surprised to find, rather than desire or intent, that her face was blank. No expression, no hidden thoughts reflected in her eyes.****

Then she leaned down and kissed him. He tangled the fingers of one hand in her rosy hair, near the base of her skull, clasping her neck so that she couldn't suddenly pull away. She had pinned his left hand in place, so it was really all he _could_do. Well, in this situation, at any rate.****

The kiss was spicy, and it suited her somehow. Their tongues battled for dominance, curling around each other hungrily, mapping out each other's mouths. She made full use of her tongue and her teeth, nipping his bottom lip once or twice before continuing her exploration. It was sticky, breathless, hot, spicy and everything in between. Filled with desire and dominance and... and almost anger. Anger at being betrayed, being left behind too many times for her to count. Frustration with her perceived weakness, her helplessness.****

Itachi tangled their legs and heaved them into a roll, pinning her to the bed and taking full control of the kiss. He deepened it, fingers sliding up her shirt, splayed out on her stomach. Her skin twitched beneath his questing fingers while her fingers tangled in _his_hair, and he wondered when she'd pulled out his hairtie.****

He pulled his mouth away, smirking at her irritated sound, then mouthed her pulse. He sucked the flesh, bringing a flower of color blooming to the surface of her skin, leaving behind red and trailing downward. Fingers scraped against the cloth of her bra, then slipped underneath and shoved it up. She was making tiny sounds of pleasure, arching up into his touch, his mouth, demanding more without any words needed.****

Her hips shifted, rubbing against his, and he groaned softly as he stirred to life. And then- the click of the front door shutting made them go still.****

**"**Sakura-chan!" a familiar voice called. "You home?"****

**"**I'll kill him, I swear to the _gods_, I'm going to _murder_him," Sakura growled, abruptly shoving Itachi off her and sitting up. She barely had time to straighten her shirt before Naruto was pushing open her already half-open bedroom door. He didn't have time to note Itachi's presence or the way her hair was so mussed before the kunoichi lunged and tackled him.****

He yelped. "Ack! Sakura-chan! Ow, ow, ow! That hurts- Sakura-chan!" the blond yowled, and then vanished out from beneath her.****

He reappeared on the other side of the room and pulled a kunai out of the wall where he'd thrown it. His gaze finally found Itachi. Silence fell, and he looked over as a royally pissed off medic climbed to her feet and advanced. He looked at Itachi again. Itachi's hair was undone. And messy. Not to mention Itachi's _pants_were undone and- Ohhhh. Shit. Naruto looked back at Sakura, eyes widening with a combination of hurt and bewilderment.****

**"**Sa-Sakura-chan?" he breathed, lip trembling.****

The look on his face seemed to help cool her temper and she stopped three feet away. She sighed and dropped her fist, then lifted it to run shaky fingers through her hair. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Naruto?" she demanded after a beat, feeling irrationally angry.****

He pouted. "I did. You didn't answer," he said, effecting the wounded puppy look.****

Sakura refused to blush, realizing she hadn't heard because she'd been... distracted. She looked at Itachi, whom was calmly finger-combing his hair and glancing around for his hairtie. Sighing, she nodded. "Knock, and if no one answers, there's a reason," she instructed the blond. "Now what do you want?"****

He sheepishly scrubbed his hand through the hair at the nape of his neck, laughing. "Ah, well... you've got today and tomorrow left of your week's leave, so I thought maybe you'd want to spar... you know, keep in practice." He pouted again. "But um... if you're busy-"****

She heaved a sigh. "No, no, it's fine. Just... go out and wait in the living room for me to get dressed."**  
**  
Naruto glanced at Itachi and opened his mouth, but Sakura was already grabbing the Uchiha's wrist. He looked at her with raised brows and smirked in faint amusement when she started to shove him toward the door. "You do not wish for my help?" he asked, and then stumbled when she shoved him harder than necessary out the door.****

She pushed the blond out next and then scowled at them both. "No." And she slammed her bedroom door shut in their faces.****

Naruto looked at Itachi with narrowed eyes. "You were trying to have sex with Sakura-chan," he accused.****

Itachi lifted a brow and shrugged, turning away to head across the hall for his own room. He paused before shutting the door and smirked at Naruto. "She started it." The door shut quietly behind him.****

Naruto groaned and stalked off to wait outside. Stupid Uchihas.****

xXx****

Sakura and Naruto went out of the Uchiha compound and headed for their usual training grounds, where the two of them spent a few moments loosening up before each took fighting stances. "Can we use jutsu?" Naruto asked. "I want to test my newest two against a living person."****

Sakura thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I've been working on something with Shizune that I want to test anyway."****

The blond beamed, and dashed forward, starting out with his favorite jutsu. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he cried, and three clones leapt for her.****

She twisted away from one, fingers glowing with chakra. One hand caught the hand of another Bunshin and she twisted him heels over head, tossing him into another, satisfied with the pops as they both dispelled.****

Naruto slapped her back and she drew her elbow back, sending him flying. Two seconds later, she stood panting lightly, glancing around. He'd vanished. Growling, she took the moment to sharpen the chakra on her fingers, creating the chakra scalpel she and Shizune had been working on.****

A shadow was cast over her face and she looked up, then jumped aside as the clone landed, the Rasengan creating a small crater in the ground. Her hand swiped along it's throat, cutting the tendons, and it dispelled.****

A pained yelp to her right had her spinning and thrusting her hand forward. Naruto grabbed her wrist and shoved it aside, fist slamming into her chest. She grunted and decked him with the other hand. He dispelled.****

Then he was suddenly behind her, arms wrapping around her shoulders to pin her own arms to her sides. She kicked off the ground, flipping up and knocking him back. The move forced his arms to loosen and she escaped. Her fist met the ground, cracking it for several meters, and she frowned. Not a clone, he'd just... vanished?****

He slapped her back again, and she barely managed to avoid the flurry of shurriken with a back handspring. Several in a row separated them enough and they circled. Silence fell as they panted, eyes never leaving the other. She blinked sweat from her eyes, and he vanished.****

His arms wrapped around her waist this time, pinning her wrists to her and forcing her to release the renewed scalpel or risk injuring herself. She was somewhat shocked that he kept managing to get behind her. How? She would sense his approach, but it wasn't like he was running up to her. One minute, no one was there, the next Naruto was once again disabling her.****

**"**How?" she panted, staying still to listen for the explanation.****

He grinned and squeezed her in a hug, then let her go. "One of my new jutsu. Hiraishin."****

She turned and blinked at him. "The yondaime's Hiraishin?" she asked, shocked.**  
****  
**He nodded and adjusted the cloak he wore, grinning. "Yup! And wanna see what else?" he asked. He pulled a kunai from his holster and attempted to stab the fabric of the cloak. It didn't work. There wasn't even a dent.****

Brows lifting, she reached out and fingered the soft material. "How?" she repeated, fascinated.****

**"**It's a nin cloak. Eehh, haori. Thing." The blond shook his head, and shrugged. "Well, whatever. It was a gift from Gaara, since I didn't have one. There are special jutsu woven into the fabric to make it impenetrable and stuff. The kages wear them; it's what the kage cloaks are."****

It made sense, she mused. The nin cloaks would protect the kages from harm, which was a big part of being kage. Surviving. "I see," she murmured, dropping the cloak and smiling at him. "Shall we continue?"****

He grinned back. "Yeah!" he cheered and flickered from sight.****

She growled irritably and got into a stance, focusing on her senses. He wouldn't fool her this time!****

xXx**  
**

**Aaah, poor Sakura...**


	21. Definition of Ambiguity

**I Spy****  
****Chapter 20****  
****Definition of Ambiguity******

xXx****

Sakura was sitting in her favorite cafe when Ino found her. The blonde stood just behind her for several minutes without the other kunoichi noticing, and her brow lifted further with each sigh. Finally, she took the seat opposite the pink haired nin, startling her friend out of her thoughts. "So, things go well with Itachi-kun?" the blonde asked cheerfully.****

Sakura flushed a dark pink. "Um, you could say that," she hedged, looking away.****

Ino's eyes narrowed. "Spill. Just between us."****

Sakura glared at her suspiciously, then sighed again. "We're going out on a date Saturday," she said, smiling. Four days away... "He asked me out. I said yes."****

Ino grinned. "Oooh, really? That's so awesome!" she gushed cheerfully. "You know what this _means_, don't you?"****

Sakura felt a chill of dread go down her spine, but the blonde's excitement was contagious, so she finally smiled. "Shopping?"****

**"**Damn straight!" Ino said sharply, and smirked. "C'mon! Now!" She grabbed her friend's wrist and started to drag her out.****

**"**Wait! The bill!" Sakura yelped.****

xXx****

Shikamaru sighed, wondering how the hell he'd gotten himself into this. One moment, he was having barbecue with Choji, enjoying a nice relaxing day off, the next, Ino was dragging him to some department store for 'a male opinion'. Troublesome.****

Currently, he and Ino were waiting outside the dressing room as Sakura tried on the pretty red dress the girls had been gushing over two minutes ago. Loudly gushing. Almost shrieking, in the blonde's case.****

He sighed, even as he heard an annoyed groan.****

**"**Ino, it's not going to work!" the mednin groused, stomping out of the changing room. She looked absolutely stunning in that little halter dress.****

**"**What?" Ino yelped. "Oh, I was so sure!" She surveyed her friend and shook her head. "It's so pretty, though!"****

**"**It makes my waist look big!" Sakura snapped. "And it clashes with my hair, dammit."****

They fell into a contemplative silence before both unanimously turned their gazes onto Shikamaru. He gulped. "Uh..." Think, think, think... Don't disagree, don't agree... so... "There was one in black, I think," he said quickly. "Maybe that would be better? Not that you aren't downright sexy, in this one."****

Sakura sighed and thought about it for a moment. "Alright, let's try the black one. Maybe it's the color that's off," she decided.****

Ino beamed. "Great!"****

Catastrophe aborted... for now. Shikamaru wanted to sink into the floor.****

xXx****

Sometime later, Sai peered through the window when he saw a familiar face, then walked into the store. Ino caught sight of him, and dragged him over, suspicious of Shikamaru's evasive answers. "Sai! Look!" She pointed to the pink-haired kunoichi dressed in a slim, form-fitting, knee-high number in a silky dark green. "Isn't she gorgeous?"****

Sai eyed Sakura thoughtfully, noting the nervous nibbling of her lip, the shifting her weight from one foot to the other... "Mmm... It kind of brings out her big hips..."****

Five seconds later, Sai went flying through the shop window.****

xXx****

**"**Uhg, this is no use!" Sakura said, near tears, half an hour later. "I'm hideous! Fat! Ugly!"****

**"**No you're not!" protested Ino, scowling. Damn Sai and his mouth! "Look, I _liked_that green dress-"****

**"**-so did I," Shikamaru inserted, and was largely ignored.****

**"**-and listening to Sai doesn't work anyway. He's stupid." The blonde nodded knowingly. "Besides, have you _seen_that man's idea of fashion? A _belly_shirt? Really? That doesn't work for guys, honey."****

Sakura nodded, reluctantly conceding the point. "So the green dress? I dunno, if he thought that... I mean, he doesn't lie to me often..." She sighed.****

**"**What about that one over there?" Shikamaru asked, pointing.****

Both women followed the direction of his finger, and gasped. "Shikamaru, you're a genius," Ino said, shocked.****

He shrugged, leaning back against the wall and not replying. It was true, after all.****

xXx****

Itachi, meanwhile, had decided to clean the house. Not that it needed it, really, since Sakura was a compulsive sterilizer, and he cleaned his messes up after himself anyway. But still. Dusting could be done, and the living room needed a new coat of paint.****

He invited Lee over to help move the furniture and paint. Ten minutes into the other man's company, he regretted it a bit. "-and so beautiful, I'm just shocked at her living with-"****

**"**Lee," Itachi finally said, tired of the green male singing Sakura's praises. "She's my girl. Shut up."****

That brought Lee up short. "Y-your... girl? Sakura-san?" he said, looking devastated.****

Itachi sighed wearily. "Yes. We're dating." Technically. "Please stop mooning over her. It is... uncomfortable." Annoying. "And it makes her uncomfortable." Irritated. "So stop. She likes you. But as a _friend_."****

Lee looked caught off guard, but then he heaved his own sigh. "That is so... unfortunate." And then his eyes burned righteously. "But youthful! And we shall have a youthful battle for her affections, you and I, Itachi-san!"****

Dammit. "Okay, go battle youthfully outside," Itachi said, replacing himself with a clone to follow the other male out. Once they were gone, he came out of the kitchen and got to work painting the walls.****

xXx****

Sakura returned two hours later and walked into the living room. "Itachi? Why is Lee battling a shadow clone outside?" she asked, and winced at a crash in the nearby training grounds on the compound.****

**"**He wished to battle me for your affections. I had better things to do, so I sent him out with a clone," Itachi replied.****

**"**You _told_him?" she groaned. "Uhg, fuck my life. Man, now he's going to pester me about it."****

**"**He would have found out by Saturday anyway," Itachi pointed out, finishing up the third wall before climbing down the ladder. He moved it and the white paint over to the last wall and started on that.****

She sighed heavily and shook her head, then glanced around the room. "I'm opening a window," she said. "It stinks in here."****

**"**Aa," was the only reply she got.****

She set the grocery bag she had down on the floor and walked over to the windows, shoving them open to allow in a breeze.****

Itachi paused when he felt his shadow clone disspell. He made another one and sent it out, then went back to what he was doing, smirking. Interesting fight.****

Sakura spotted his look and shook her head. "You know, it's almost creepy, that whole shadow clone knowledge thing. I don't want to find out you're using it to peep."****

**"**There's an idea," he said mock thoughtfully.****

She swatted his leg and huffed, snatching her bag up off the floor. "I'm putting my stuff away. Are you almost done?"**  
****  
**He nodded. "Yes. Fifteen minutes."****

**"**Kay." She disappeared into the back, putting her new dress up on a hanger and hanging it in her closet. For a moment, she smiled at it, and then she thought about thanking Shikamaru somehow. Ooh, Ino's mom's rolls. She'd talk to Ino later. Shaking her head and grinning at herself, she walked back out to start an early dinner. It'd be nice to eat out on the patio...****

She checked in on Itachi to find him still painting, then went back into the kitchen and started putting things together for a light meal. Salad, maybe? Mm, and cold shrimp. Shrimp salad? That sounded nice, she mused.****

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into him. "You know, I think this would be considered 'cheating'," she told him bluntly.****

The shadow clone smirked faintly. "I like cheating. I am very good at it," he replied.****

**"**What if I don't like cheating?" she replied mock seriously.****

He pretended to consider that for a moment. "Ninja," he finally replied, and leaned down to nibble on her throat.****

She sucked in a breath. "Itachi, knock it off! I'm making dinner!"****

**"**We've got about an hour until you _need_to," he replied, smirking and not stopping.****

She scowled and stabbed at him with the steak knife she drew from the knife block. Predictably, he jumped back, and frowned. "Now who is cheating?" he asked.****

Her eyes narrowed, and she sighed when he dispelled. Out in the living room, she heard Itachi drop something. She smirked. Served him right!****

Still... living with Itachi, and planning on _dating_the guy, was... frustrating. Especially after their... accident that morning. What had she been thinking? One minute, she'd been terrified, thinking about all the things he'd done to her former teammate. The next, she'd been telling herself it didn't matter. Her heart hadn't been able to catch up with her mind before she'd kissed him. Made herself kiss him, told herself that he was now, Sasuke was the past. And then... then he'd kissed her back.****

And then nothing. They were kissing, and the world was upside down and inside out and Itachi was kissing her, she'd somehow ended up on her back, and they were pawing at each other like horny animals... If Naruto hadn't come in then, she would have fucked him, and been _happy_about it.****

Now she was telling herself, _What about Sasuke_?****

But... what about him? He was Sasuke, and _he'd_betrayed _her_. First. Hell, there hadn't even been a 'them' to worry about!****

Which just made it worse! Sakura moaned and leaned over, dropping her head to the counter. She was so screwed. Sasuke, Itachi, Sasuke, Itachi... Make up your fucking mind already, Sak! The duck dick or the smug dick. Choose already! Or date Shino! At least he was nicer, even if he had a bug problem.**  
****  
**She groaned again, lifting her head and dropping it again. The vague pain helped her focus. Sasuke was gone. She still loved him... but, she couldn't quite forget that night. Feeling him behind her, wanting to lean into his chest but being too terrified of rejection to do it...****

She sucked in her breath, remembering a similar moment only minutes ago. Itachi. Leaning into _his_chest... Feeling his arms slide around her waist like warm silk. His mouth on her throat...****

Damn, Sak. You need to get laid. AND! You have a perfectly willing Uchiha just out in the living roo- actually, he's behind you. SIX O'CLOCK!****

Sakura shook her head of Inner Sakura's inane ramblings and straightened, turning to meet the patient Uchiha's gaze. He was leaning against the kitchen doorway, eyes calm and dark, staring right back into her's. "Something is bothering you."****

She swallowed, but refused to look away. "I still love him," she whispered, watching his eyes go cold. "I love him so much, that sometimes my heart aches, and I have nightmares..." She trailed off. Itachi was pulling away, straighting to his full height.****

**"**Back on our mission," he said slowly, stepping into the kitchen and advancing. She turned, backed up against the counter. "When we met Sasuke-" She flinched at the harsh sound of his brother's name on his lips. Why did he sound angry? "-and I fought him... he sent a clone after you, do you remember that?"****

She nodded mutely, staring up at him with wide eyes as he stopped mere inches away from her.****

His face was close to her's, and his gaze lowered to her mouth. He lifted a hand and lightly trailed a finger over her bottom lip. "Do you know what he said to me, even as he stopped me from saving you?" She didn't answer in any way, but then he didn't wait for her to. "I'll remember it, for a long time. I've dreamt of it, woken up in a cold sweat because of it..." His hands cupped either side of her jaw, fingers splayed over her neck and the base of her head.****

He leaned forward, mouth so close, lips brushing her's as he spoke. "'You destroyed what I loved. It's my turn'," he breathed. His thumbs gently skimmed her cheeks. "I couldn't stop him. I could not get in the way. I would have died to save your life, Sakura. If Naruto had not arrived when he did, I might have killed Sasuke to get to you. To save you."****

She swallowed, her mouth trembling. He was so scary like this, and at the same time... she wasn't afraid of him at all. And then it hit home, sank in. Sasuke... he was going to slaughter her. Murder her to get back at his brother, for petty revenge. She _didn't matter to him_. Her heart shattered, and tears rolled down her cheeks without her permission.****

And Itachi wasn't finished. "I would have killed my beloved baby brother for you, Sakura. The little boy I risked everything for, the little boy I killed an entire elite clan to save. I would have cut him down, ended his pathetic excuse of an existence. For you."****

She blinked slowly, causing still more tears to pour down her cheeks, her vision to blur. What the hell? Killed him? Sasuke? Her indrawn breath was shaky at best.****

**"**A little food for thought, Sakura," he breathed, lips caressing her's. "What would he have done?" He pulled away and left her there to sink to her knees.**  
****  
**Sakura stared after his retreating back, sitting on the floor against the cupboard doors. **"**_What would he have done?"_That single phrase echoed in her head. What would Sasuke have done, if put in Itachi's position that day? What would he have done? Would he have saved her, risked his life for her? Or would he have left her to die and gone after his brother?****

The answer, the one she knew deep in her heart, didn't need to be said.****

xXx****

Itachi went back into the living room, shaking with anger. He would have said more, stayed to comfort her... But he was angry. So angry. He could have broken her neck, shattered her skull. The desire never rose, and that just made him angrier. He _cared_for her, in a way he'd never cared for anyone, not even Sasuke.****

He couldn't stand there with her, not with how angry he was. He didn't want her to see him like this, didn't need her to fear him. Hell, he'd probably just blown it as it was.****

Except... she said it, confessed how she still felt for his _little brother_, and... he'd snapped. Something inside him had _snapped_, like a branch giving way beneath his feet. He'd almost literally seen red, and chakra _almost_went into his eyes, made them _bleed_red. A fog of burning fury had settled on his shoulders, made it hard to breath, and all he could think about was making her _not_love Sasuke.****

So he'd told her the truth. Maybe it had worked, maybe it hadn't. Right now, he wasn't entirely sure he even _cared_. Once again, he'd made her cry, broken her heart in a way he was almost certain no one had ever managed before. Worse, he'd broken the little faith she had left in her former teammate. Hurt her, maybe even changed her... he wouldn't blame her for hating him, if she chose to do so.****

He sighed and slumped onto the floor, closing his eyes. How could he be so _stupid_? Sakura...****

**"**Wow, you know, that was _really_impressive there," a familiar voice drawled.****

Itachi didn't finish throwing the kunai, and was locked in place by shadow. Shikamaru had been ready for him. He said nothing.****

**"**Did you even see me?" the Nara asked, sitting down beside him and releasing the jutsu. "Or were you too busy agonizing over that little speech to even notice I was in either room?"****

Itachi sighed and bit back the urge to kill the boy. He actually _didn't_hate him. One of the few people he didn't even mind so much. "What do you want?" he asked softly instead.****

Shikamaru looked at him quietly for a moment, then looked away, at the wall across from them. "You wanna talk about it?"****

**"**No."****

**"**Me neither," Shikamaru admitted. "It's too troublesome."****

Itachi almost laughed, but refrained. Had that been a joke, or honesty?****

**"**You know..." Shikamaru stopped, and frowned. "I'm... not even sure why I'm still here. I noticed the door open, and felt your chakra... I could tell you were pretty pissed." His gaze slanted toward his ex-roommate. "Really pissed. So I investigated, figuring I'd leave if you were alright... Stood there in the hall during most of that speech. Didn't _hear_everything, obviously. Most of it was whispered, actually-"  
**  
****"**Shikamaru," Itachi sighed. "You are rambling."****

**"**I know. You make me nervous," Shikamaru replied. "Which is troublesome, too." He heaved a sigh and got up, holding his hand out to Itachi. "C'mon."****

Itachi hesitated, but took it and let Shikamaru pull him to his feet. He regarded the Nara with much suspicion. Shikamaru shrugged. "We should get out. She's sad now, but she'll go into her denial phase next, which means anger, and an angry Sakura's more scary than you are."****

Itachi quirked a brow. "Oh?"****

**"**You have restraint when you're mad. Sakura doesn't," the younger male pointed out. "More dangerous, yes. But definitely more painful with her." He shook his head. "Personally, I'd rather not be around when she blows her top."****

**"**I cannot just leave her that way," Itachi said, frowning. "I _live_with her."****

**"**Oooh, yeah. That _is_an issue, isn't it?" Shikamaru whistled. "Well, damn. Good luck. I'm going, before I die a messy death." He waved and quickly vacated the premises.****

Itachi sighed in his wake, then headed for the kitchen.****

Sakura sat where he'd left her, face buried in her arms, which rested on her knees. She said nothing when he sat down beside her, but she didn't move either. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was asleep.****

Silence fell.****

After a while, she sighed and sat up, then leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. "Why'd you tell me that?"****

He hesitated, and pursed his lips thoughtfully. The truth, or a lie? He'd never lied to her, so it was no real choice. "Because the thought..." He stopped and sighed. "The thought of you loving him made me... angry."****

Sakura heaved a sigh. "So you got jealous?"****

Itachi frowned at her, but she was essentially right, so he didn't answer. Instead, he threaded his fingers through her hair and then ran them through soothingly.****

**"**You have a really scary way of acting when you're jealous," she told him, but didn't move away.****

He wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment or not, so he once again didn't reply.****

Sakura heaved another sigh and sat up, looking up at him. "I'm sorry."****

Itachi's gaze went from the wall to her face, and his brow furrowed. "For what?" he asked softly.****

**"**Making you angry," she said. "I just... I wanted to believe..." She stopped and sighed, dropping her head onto his arm again. She was so stupid. How could this ever work between them? With their history? With _her_history with Sasuke?****

Itachi sighed beside her. "It will... work out," he murmured thoughtfully. "Somehow."****

Maybe. She frowned and sat up. "You should finish the living room before the paint dries... I was gonna make some salad."****

She climbed to her feet and found that he was suddenly in front of her, trapping her against the counter once more. Those butterflies were visiting her stomach again, and then he was kissing her. The butterflies disappeared, melting into a pleasant heat one wing at a time.****

As she felt his tongue teasing the seam of her lips, she couldn't help but think, _how could this not work?_****

xXx****

Sakura had woken up especially early that morning, and thus she was able to catch the surprising sight of Itachi training. At first, she'd just sensed a brief burst of chakra. Probably nothing, but since he was wanted by pretty much all the major countries, not to mention Akatsuki and his brother, she'd decided that it couldn't hurt to check.****

So she'd left the house and snuck over to the special Uchiha training grounds not far into the forest behind it. He was a whirl of motion. His muscles slid like liquid beneath his form-fitting mesh shirt, the fabric plastered to his skin with sweat. Feet barely touched down on any surface before he was dancing through the air like a master gymnast, arms rolling out and kunai slicing through the distance between he and the center of every target he threw at.****

She stood there beside a tree, taking a deep breath and watching him as he landed on the ground briefly before springing up again and snapping his leg out to catch an imaginary foe. His fingers touched a tree branch for a split second, altering his momentum just enough to get him into the middle of the clearing. He twisted his body around, bringing that same leg down on yet another opponent before tossing three shurriken out to lodge neatly against the kunai embedded into the targets.****

He landed and spun, arm flashing out and catching a third opponent before he knocked them from their feet and kicked out with the same leg behind him. Sakura released the breath and he turned, a kunai in each hand, to meet her gaze. He relaxed and smirked faintly.****

**"**Sakura."****

She stepped out from behind the tree. "Hi. So _this_is what you do when you get up so damn early," she teased, smiling back at him.****

He nodded. "I cannot get out of practice," he replied calmly before walking towards the nearest target to retrieve his weapons.****

Sakura shook her head, amused. "Well, I'm gonna go make something to eat, so if you finish soon, it should be ready in fifteen minutes." She smiled and waved before turning to go.****

His hand on her bicep made her turn back, and then she was pushed up against a tree with his mouth on her's. He didn't actually smell, either, she noted as she kissed him back. A little sweat, but eh. She'd smelled worse.****

He pulled back after a beat and nodded. "I'll be there."****

She grinned and left, humming under her breath the whole way.****

xXx****

**"**Why _are_you up so early?" he asked later as they ate.****

Sakura stifled a yawn, covering her mouth, and shook her head. "Shizune, Shisho and I are doing training all day today, and tomorrow. Medical stuff," she explained vaguely. "We're meeting in half an hour." She shook her head and finished quickly before getting to her feet. "Which means that I, sadly, must go get a shower." She paused and sniffed the air. "You too."****

He narrowed his eyes at her mock suspiciously. "Mm. I will."****

She beamed. "Good!" She waved and trotted further back into the house to hog the bathroom for ten minutes. Once she'd stepped out of the room, toweling her hair dry, she glanced around but found no sign of the sometimes unpredictable Uchiha.****

**"**Hmmm." She shook her head and went into her bedroom to brush out her hair and finish getting ready. She was halfway through the task when she realized he'd been in there. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around, trying to figure out what he'd done. Her bed...****

She shoved aside the gauzy curtains that hung from the poles running from each post to the next to reveal the bed. Sure enough, her bed - which had been messy - was made and there was a small wrapped parcel on her pillow. She made a face. "Neat freak," she accused the absent male and picked up the parcel.****

She sighed and sat down, setting her brush down beside her to peruse the package. After determining that there were no traps of any sort on the it, she unwrapped the simple pearly paper and then opened the rectangular box. She forgot how to breathe.****

xXx****

**"**You think she'll like it?" Naruto sighed, staring down into his bowl of ramen. He prodded it with a chopped stick, but really didn't feel like eating right then.****

Kiba gave him a look. "Why wouldn't she? And anyway, I thought you weren't going to court her until _after_you finished your mission?"****

The blond gave him a guilty smile. "I couldn't help it!" he admitted sheepishly. "I saw it in the store at the border town and... I just thought they'd look nice on her."****

Kiba's slight frown all but vanished. "You're ridiculous, you know. You don't notice her for _years_and then you do, and suddenly you can't stop thinking about her? Have you done _any_training in the last week?"****

**"**Yes!" Naruto protested instantly, then abruptly deflated. "Sort of."****

**"**Yeah, that's what I thought," Kiba said, grinning, and cuffed the blond upside the head. "So you're not still on about Sakura, then?"****

Naruto blinked and looked up from prodding his ramen again. He shook his head as he reached a hand up to adjust the semi-heavy cloak on his shoulders. "No. You should see how she looks at Itachi... and, well... If the guy makes her _that_happy..." He grimaced and forced himself to eat some of the ramen. Which, really, was all it took to make him hungry.****

Kiba snorted and tried again two bowls (roughly a minute and a half) later. "Yeah, but... You didn't care when she was _all about Sasuke_."****

Naruto sneered lightly at the name, surprising the Inuzuka. "Yeah right. Sasuke never cared about her. Itachi does. And anyway, I'd never give her to... to... to _teme_." He scowled darkly and ordered another bowl.****

Kiba, wide-eyed, stared at the blond silently for a moment. "Why? I mean, you used to be all 'I'll bring back Sasuke, yeah!' What gives?"****

Naruto paused, ramen halfway to his mouth, and lowered his chopsticks. "We... fought him. Sasuke was about to _kill_her... He'd never _done_that before, and I was... scared. The look in his eyes..." He shuddered. "He... really doesn't care who he hurts, does he? It doesn't matter to him if it's the people who love him, just so long as he gets back at the bastard."****

Kiba looked away at that. It was a sobering thought, and he didn't really have any sort of reply to it. So he didn't answer, and after a moment, Naruto went back to his ramen. The silence fell, and stuck.**  
**  
xXx

**Sorry for the wait! I'll be updating this Tuesday every other week from now on! If you're interested in seeing my schedule, please go to my dA under the same name! It's in the update journal. Please review when you read!**


	22. Developements

**I Spy  
Chapter 21  
Developments**

xXx****

Sakura was nearly giddy by the time her best friend and all times rival got to their usual cafe and sat down. She started talking before the blonde could open her mouth, and five minutes later, when Shikamaru and _Tenten_of all people stepped into the cafe, the Nara nearly beat a quick retreat. Luckily, Tenten herded him to the table.****

"Mind if we join you?" she asked, grinning.****

"OH MY GOD!" Ino shrieked at the same time.****

Both females paused though and looked up at Tenten like they'd just been caught auctioning off newborn Chinese babies. Both had identical grins on their faces. Tenten arched a brow as Shikamaru reluctantly sat and pulled a seat out for herself. "Now this I've gotta hear."****

xXx****

Hinata wandered in fifteen minutes later and beamed at them when they offered her a seat. Shikamaru looked like he was trying to sink low enough to hide beneath the table. He was glad the quiet Hyuuga was there. Meant he wasn't the only one not in on the conversation.****

Except she joined it. "Oooh, those are _so_cute!" Ino gasped after Hinata showed them the earrings left 'mysteriously' on her dresser. "Who are they from, though?"****

Hinata blushed lightly. "Who do you think?" she asked, smiling.****

The girls exchanged glances and sighed. "Naruto," they all chorused.****

xXx****

Naruto sneezed twice, stumbling on the logs he was walking on over the water. Yamato reached out quick as a snake and caught his arm, steadying him. "Are you getting sick?" the ANBU asked. "Perhaps we should visit Sakura?"****

Naruto rubbed his nose and shook his head. "Nah. Probably just someone gossiping about me," he said, and stopped walking as a thought occurred to him. "Maybe it's Hina-"****

"N-Naruto!" Yamato yelled, even as the rolling logs pitted them into the churning water of the river.****

xXx****

Kiba poked his head into the cafe, having seen the group through the window, and grinned at Shikamaru's immediate 'save me or kill me' look. "Hey, girls, mind if I borrow your boy there?" he asked.****

Ino waved him off and didn't stop talking, enrapturing Tenten's, Sakura's, Hinata's and Sai's attentions with her monologue. Kiba grabbed Shikamaru by the bicep and dragged him out, still grinning. "What was that about?"****

Shikamaru slumped. "I don't know," he muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'd tuned them out. Mostly. It's hard to ignore Ino's screeching."****

Kiba snickered and then caught sight of something peculiar. "Is that Anko?"****

Shikamaru followed his gaze and shrugged. "Yeah. So?"****

"What's she doing?"****

"Stalking someone, maybe?"****

The men stared at the purple-haired woman. She suddenly turned and scowled at them before taking off. They looked at the shop she'd been peeking into through the window. Curiously, they both eyed it. "A book store?" Shikamaru asked, frowning.****

"Hey, is that...?"****

"... it is..."****

They both stared in at Kakashi... without his mask. Suddenly, the sensei looked up. Both boys ducked and beat a quick retreat. "Damn," Kiba said, getting an agreeing nod from the shadow nin.****

"Yeah. No wonder she was staring."****

"Stalking."****

"Yeah. Right."****

xXx****

"Ohh, he gave you that?" Hinata asked, blushing but smiling prettily. "That's so sweet!"****

Sakura nodded. "He also left a note reminding me of tomorrow night." She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but the smile on her lips was full of amusement. "Like I'd forgotten."****

"He's just making sure," Ino said, eyes dancing. "After... you know."****

Sakura grimaced and sighed. "Yeah... I'm still not sure what to do about _that_. I mean... Every time I get mad at him, he does or says something that makes me forgive him. He's just so... so _reasonable_."****

Tenten shook her head, frowning at the two brighter kunoichi. "Wait, did I miss something?"****

Sai sat up straight when the girls looked reluctant. "Oh! Yes. Itachi-san... what is the phrase you used... 'blew up' at Sakura after she mentioned that she was still in love with Sasuke-kun." He nodded importantly.****

Sakura scowled at him, but there was no real heat to it. She nodded miserably. "Yeah."****

Hinata's eyes grew wide. "_Itachi-san_lost his _temper_?" she asked, shocked.****

Ino grinned and patted Sakura's shoulder fondly. "Congrats, Sak. You are officially the only person I've ever met that has made Itachi blow a gasket. You should be proud."****

Green eyes narrowed at her best friend. "It's not like I did it on purpose!" she protested irritably. "Besides, he had a good reason! … sort of."****

Tenten snorted. "It seems that lately, Itachi-san's 'reasons' usually consist of 'Sakura'." She grinned at the blush that stole across the med-nin's cheeks. "It's kind of funny, actually."****

"Of course, I knew this was coming from the beginning," Ino said, smirking. "You guys just... match." She beamed.****

"Bite me," Sakura growled. But she couldn't hide her pleasure at the compliment.****

xXx****

Ten minutes later, a familiar blond-haired blur darted into the restaurant, a bundle in his arms and a pale look on his face. "S-Sakura-chan! You gotta help!" Naruto shouted as soon as he saw her. "I dunno what to do! She won't move!"****

Sakura, wide-eyed, was half out of her seat before she got a look at what was inside the bundle of Naruto's cloak, cradled in his arms. "Oh, no... Is she still breathing?" she murmured, stepping around the table. "Hey, Hana-san, Kiba's sister... she's a vet. We can take her to her."****

Naruto nodded, looking miserable. "It was an accident, Sakura-chan, but-but- we've gotta save her!"****

Sakura scowled at him and started shoving him out the door. "Alright, alright, explain later. Hana-san needs to see this little girl first!"****

Hinata sighed as they left, fingering one of her earrings and frowning worriedly. "Was that a kitten?"****

Tenten nodded. "Yeah."****

xXx****

Hana, when she came into the kitchen, offered the waiting duo- oh, trio, a smile. Kiba had joined them. "She'll be fine, Naruto-kun."****

He heaved a relieved sigh, slumping against Kiba, only to be shoved off onto Sakura, who shoved back. This went on for a minute before Naruto abruptly disappeared and reappeared on Sakura's other side, holding Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress looked shocked, to say the least.****

Sakura scowled at him. "That is _cheating_, Naruto!"****

The blond gave her an unrepentant grin. "So? Ninja."****

"Yeah, so you and Itachi keep reminding me," she groused. She sighed and looked at Hana. "So, we can take her home?"****

Hana shook her head, frowning disapprovingly at Naruto. "No, I'd like to keep her for twenty four hours, if that's alright. She almost drowned." Her frown deepened on the blond, who coughed in embarrassment.****

Sakura nodded. "Yes, Hana-san, that's perfectly fine," she said, smiling and rising to her feet.****

Hinata shifted uncertainly and smiled a little at Hana. "S-so the k-kitten is o-okay?" she stammered.****

Hana nodded, smiling at the Hyuuga. "Yes. She'll be just fine."****

"Oh good," Hinata breathed, smiling prettily.****

Sakura smothered a smile at the look on Naruto's face. _Took ya long enough, blondie_, she thought.****

xXx****

"You gave her a what?" Genma asked incredulously, ducking under Itachi's kick.****

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed as he spun around again and kicked out. "You heard me."****

Genma shook his head, even as he blocked the kick with his crossed arm guards. "Right. Just how much money do you _have_?"****

A slim black brow lifted, and Itachi shrugged, punching out. "The entire Uchiha fortune."****

"Lucky bastard. Oomph!" Genma went flying. He'd barely landed when Itachi was on him, foot pressed against his collarbone, fists raised and at the ready. "I give," Genma gasped breathlessly.****

Itachi pulled back and helped the other male to his feet. "Why is it so surprising?" he asked quietly, barely panting.****

Genma gave him a glower. "Why? Because most nin don't have that kind of money, that's why. Fucking rich ass jerk."****

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Very inventive language," he replied, and blinked when a towel was shoved into his face. He accepted it and stared at the woman standing there. "Hn?"****

"My turn," Anko said, grinning eagerly.****

xXx****

"Tch. How the hell did this happen again?" Sakura demanded, hands glowing as she healed the gash on Itachi's arm.****

He frowned at her. "I already told you."****

"I must have had cotton in my ears, because I could have sworn you said _Anko_distracted you by _feeling you up_," she growled, eyes narrowing.****

He winced when she prodded the wound briefly. Angry Sakura. Jealous Sakura. Hm, perhaps he should distract her. He glanced at her face. "It was unexpected."****

"Yeah. I know. It shouldn't have been. Anko's a cheater that way." She shook her head and lowered her hands. "It will be tender for a while, but it should be all healed up now." And, much to his shock, she smacked him upside the head. "Now no letting Anko touch your goddamn ass!"****

He caught her fingers and slowly went about kissing the tips, smirking faintly up at her. "Why Sakura, I didn't know you cared..."****

She turned bright red and jerked her hand away. "No changing the subject, you!" she huffed, and rounded on the snickering Naruto behind her. "And you! Go on a date with Hinata! This is an order!"****

Naruto immediately stopped laughing and went wide-eyed. "D-date!" he yelled back automatically.****

Hinata beside him was about as red as Sakura. "A-a d-date w-w-with N-Naruto-kun?" she stammered, and abruptly fainted at the thought.****

Naruto caught her and sighed. "Dammit. I thought we'd gotten past the 'fainting' thing..."****

"Oooh, so you finally figured it out, mm?" Sakura grinned at him.****

He hoisted the Hyuuga heiress up into his arms and pouted at his teammate. "Actually, I was cornered by Kiba and Shino, threatened and then they explained that while they were ranting. Well, mostly just Kiba ranting. Well, yelling, really." His eyes narrowed past her, even as Itachi wrapped his arms around her waist. "Which reminds me, Itachi, we gotta talk soon."****

The Uchiha's smirk was audible, even if Sakura couldn't see it. "Oh? It won't do you much good," he murmured, and kissed Sakura's shoulder, likely just to piss Naruto off.****

Naruto turned an angry red, but since he was holding the unconscious Hinata, he didn't lunge in for the kill. Yet. Sakura, however, had no such compunctions. Itachi dodged her irate swing, and the next, and the next...****

"GODDAMMIT, HOLD STILL!" she yelled in frustration.****

He caught her wrist and diverted her fist, then pulled her into a chaste kiss. She paused, distracted, but Naruto's yelling got her back on track. Itachi grinned and vanished before she could swing again. She scowled. "GODDAMN UCHIHA!"****

xXx****

The man that stepped through the gates of Konoha one sunny fall morning was greeted by grins and waves by the gate guards on this shift. He grinned back just as brightly and waved. "Ossu!"****

Once past the gates, he continued on toward Hokage Tower, but a commotion in one of the local training grounds caught his attention. He watched the sparring match curiously, and when their resident Uchiha won, he found himself unsurprised.****

And then the Uchiha was turning to look at him. He inclined his head. "Jiraiya-san," he murmured, approaching.****

The white-haired old man grinned. "Well. I haven't had the opportunity to say hello since you returned, I believe. It's been a while, Itachi-san!"****

Itachi's head tilted very slightly, perhaps in confusion, and he nodded. "It has indeed, Jiraiya-san. You are Naruto-kun's teacher, are you not?"****

Jiraiya nodded and stuck his hands into his pockets. "Yep. I hear the two of you are on better terms."****

Itachi appeared to consider that before offering a disinterested shrug. "Perhaps. It is difficult to tell. Naruto-kun... has his own motives that I do not understand fully."****

Jiraiya grinned. "Just say it like it is, Itachi-san! Naruto's an idiot."****

The corner of the Uchiha's mouth twitched, but he didn't quite smile. "Aa. That is so."****

Jiraiya's laugh may or may not have scared away a few birds. A thought occurred to him, and he glanced around unsubtly before leaning forward and gesturing for Itachi to do the same. Cautiously, the Uchiha obliged. "So... Word on the street says you and Sakura-chan are... ahem, an _item_."****

Itachi's brow twitched. "Does it now? Your point?" he asked with deceptive calm. He knew the man quite well from years of dealing with him, and if he said something like-****

"So? Can I do some research on the two of you?" Jiraiya asked eagerly.****

Like that... Itachi straightened and turned around, calmly walking away from the pervert. Unfortunately, Jiraiya did not get the hint, or he ignored it.****

"She's so much like Tsunade, it's kind of cute!" the Sannin continued, following after him. "And of course, she's growing, if you get what I mean." He grinned at the luke-warm glare Itachi shot over his shoulder. This Uchiha was so fun to mess with. "Heeey, have you done 'this' and 'that' with her yet?"****

"I fail to see how _that_is any of your business, Jiraiya-san," Itachi ground out between gritted teeth. He counted to twenty in his head, urging himself to calm down with each ascending number.****

Jiraiya opened his mouth to continue, but luckily - for Itachi - they were interrupted. "JIRAIYAAAA!"****

"Oops, gotta go!" Jiraiya yelped, and dashed off, the Hokage in hot pursuit.****

Itachi sighed as he watched them go. That man was... _obnoxious_.****

xXx****

"Dead?" Tsunade whispered, staring at her life-long friend and suitor. She couldn't believe it. Orochimaru was... was _dead_? "Is this possible?"****

Jiraiya sighed and nodded. "Aa. There's no doubt, since it was _that_source," he said, frowning from where he stood in front of her desk.****

"That's... troublesome," Shikamaru muttered from where he sat on the windowsill. "Who killed him?"****

Jiraiya's lips thinned. "Uchiha Sasuke. It happened a few weeks ago. I'm surprised we're only just finding out... it seems that no one knew until recently."****

"So this happened before he found out Itachi was still alive," the Hokage murmured, looking down. She closed her eyes, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms.****

"You know what this means, don't you?" Shikamaru asked after a moment, looking anything but thrilled at whatever thought was going through his head. "He's a bigger threat than we'd originally thought. Hoped. He probably wouldn't have run from the fight against Itachi's team if Itachi hadn't given him that chakra poisoning."****

Tsunade's fingers tightened on her biceps, but she nodded, mouth pulling down into a deeper frown. "We'll need to send a team," she murmured. "One that will either capture Sasuke, or kill him if capture turns out to be impossible."****

Jiraiya shifted, crossing his own arms and squaring his shoulders. "Naruto won't kill him, and would get in the way of anyone else doing so."****

Shikamaru nodded, crooking his right leg up on the windowsill. The other hung to the floor. "Yeah."****

The Hokage realized that her fingers were hurting, her grip was so tight, and forced her hands to relax and drop to her lap. "I know," she said, sighing. "Sasuke... we'll have to send a team with someone who will do what is needed."****

"Itachi?" Shikamaru suggested. "According to Genma's reports, he was pretty much ready to kill Sasuke last time, to save Sakura-chan. The only reason he didn't is because Naruto showed up and Sasuke withdrew."****

"He wouldn't do it," Jiraiya sighed, reaching up a hand to rub his eyes tiredly. "Itachi would never kill his precious little brother. No one matters more to him than Sasuke. I learned that much over the years."****

A pregnant silence fell as they brooded over the thought. Tsunade had only recently found out that Jiraiya had been in on Itachi being the Akatsuki spy. She supposed it was just another thing that the Sandaime had brought his perceived heir into without her knowledge.****

The fourth person in the room, who had been silent up to this point, shifted and pushed off the wall he leaned against, walking over to stand beside Jiraiya before Tsunade. He raked a hand through silvery hair, not quite looking the Hokage in the eye when she glanced at him. "... Sakura does," Kakashi said softly.****

Tsunade blinked, and then her brow furrowed. "How would you know that?"****

Kakashi finally met her gaze, briefly. "I know my students. I've been observing Itachi near constantly since he returned to Konoha, as you know. He's different around her. More relaxed. He shows weakness around her, shows more emotion than any other time. Granted, he's come a long way in the emotion department since he left Akatsuki and returned to us, but she's the only one around whom he lets down his guard completely."****

Tsunade wasn't entirely surprised by this, of course. Kakashi had mentioned it before, though he hadn't let on just how _much_Itachi's trust in Sakura had grown. She frowned at the jonin almost accusingly before sighing. "What are you getting at?" she asked, and the suspicion in her heart made her sick to her stomach.****

"I'm saying that we should use that. Itachi is, without a doubt, the best choice for Sasuke's captor- or executioner if need be. During that last fight, Sasuke attacked Sakura and got quite the reaction out of Itachi. Chances are he'll do it again, looking for Itachi's weakness. He'll find it, and Itachi would be forced into a position where he has to end the fight quickly... either with Sasuke's capture, or his death."****

The Hokage's scowl grew more pronounced with every sentence. "You want me to endanger my _student_, my _apprentice_, my fucking _heir_just to capture your precious Sasuke?" she growled, fingers tightening in the fists they'd become.****

Kakashi was undaunted by the implied threat, or at least he hid it well. "Unless we can think of something better, that may have to be what we resort to." He didn't dare shrug, as he was treading a thin line now as it was. "I have confidence that Itachi would protect her at all costs. They won't be the only ones on the team. The others could protect Sakura as back up. That's their first priority anyway, since she'd been the team medic."****

"This is assuming any of them would even agree to it, Itachi especially," Shikamaru inserted. "He'd certainly be cautious after what happened last time. He may insist that Sakura not come to avoid a repeat performance, which would defeat the purpose entirely."****

Kakashi frowned faintly, knowing the other male was right. "Well," he said after a beat, "It's one plan, should all else fail."****

"Let's just hope all else doesn't," Tsunade said, sighing. "Itachi would never forgive us."****

xXx****

Naruto waited until the end of the meeting, when everyone but his teacher and his Hokage had left, before hopping in to sit on the windowsill. Neither bothered looking at him.****

"You're getting good at that, Naruto," Jiraiya said, smiling as he read over a scroll under Tsunade's close gaze. He set it down with a nod and then looked at the blond male. "I didn't even know you were there till we mentioned Sakura-chan. Might want to work on that, gaki."****

Blue eyes narrowed, but Naruto was silent for a long time. Coming from him, this was rather unnerving, but Jiraiya didn't want to rush him. Finally, Tsunade had had enough and turned to scowl at him. "Would you hurry up and say whatever you've come to say? We have _work_to do, Naruto!" she snarled.****

"I want to take the upcoming Chunin exams," Naruto said after a beat.****

They both blinked, visibly taken aback. They hadn't expected him to say that. "What about Sasuke?" Jiraiya asked finally.****

"What about him?" Naruto replied evenly. "He tried to kill Sakura-chan."****

Tsunade's eyes widened at the blatant disregard. "I didn't expect this out of you, Naruto. Are you really giving up on him?"****

The younger blond shook his head at that. "No... I'm not. But... Well, Sakura-chan's moved on in rank and everyone else in my generation is at least a Chunin if not higher. It's time for me to try too." He smiled. "And hopefully I can eventually make Jonin and become a teacher like Kaka-sensei and Iruka-sensei."****

Tsunade sighed. "You don't have a team," she pointed out.****

Naruto shrugged. "I'm sure you can figure out something," he replied. "If need be, I could always just make up some kage bunshin."****

"That doesn't count," Jiraiya said dryly, smirking.****

"Then I guess you guys'll have to figure it out!" Naruto replied, hoisting himself up off the sill and onto his feet. "You're good at that."****

Jiraiya nodded, crossing his arms. "I'm glad you've decided to move up in rank, Naruto. It gives me hope for you."****

The blond snorted and scratched his cheek. "Well, I have to move up at some point, right? I'll be the next Hokage, after all." He grinned.****

The expression was infectious, and before Tsunade knew it, she was smiling as well. "Right," she said softly.****

Naruto nodded in approval before just vanishing. Jiraiya sighed. "He's getting very good at that," he commented.****

Tsunade grimaced. "Neji was complaining that someone had been spying on Hinata. I'll give you three guesses as to who, and the first two don't count."****

The male laughed sheepishly and inched toward the door. "I had _nothing_to do with it."****

Her eyes narrowed. "_You_taught him how to peep," she retorted, frowning at him.****

"What? Catch a peep? Good idea, I'll go do that, bye bye!" He ran away, and Tsunade rolled her eyes.****

"Idiot."****

xXx****

"I wonder what your babies will look like..."****

In perfect unison, Itachi and Sakura choked on their lunches before tossing irate glares at the blonde sitting with them. Ino blinked, leaning back slightly. "Um... what?"****

Sakura managed to finish chewing and swallowing first, and so was able to talk before Itachi could. "What? WHAT! We haven't even gone on a date yet and you're already picturing our children, is what!" she snapped.****

Ino blinked, then lifted a brow at them. "You're on a date now," she said.****

"We're not on a date," Itachi inserted. "A date would imply that we were together _alone_. You are here, and thus we are not on a-"****

"Oooh, if that's how you want to play it!" Ino got up and winked at them, then trotted out.****

Sakura dropped her head to the table and sighed as the dishes bounced. "She did that on purpose," she grumbled.****

"You noticed that, did you?" he asked dryly. "I believe we have a fan."****

"No kidding." She sat up and made an exaggerated grimace at him, which made him smile. He had a nice smile... _Woah, Sak, you're getting off track_! Sakura shook her head. "I just hope she doesn't randomly decide to start peeping on me or something... That'd be very weird."****

"Mm. Indeed it would," he agreed, taking a bite of his food.****

She gave him a look. "You're just humoring me now, aren't you?"****

He quirked a brow, then shrugged, seeing no point in denying it. "Yes."****

She threw a napkin at him and got up. "Jerk," she huffed, ready to stalk out - she had a meeting with Shizune anyways.****

His hand darted out, clasping her wrist, and he tugged her against his side. "What, no goodbye?"****

She frowned thunderously and shoved on his shoulder halfheartedly. "I was being serious, Itachi!" she protested.****

Itachi sighed, the arm around her waist loosening to merely rest there. "I know. I apologize for offending you."****

She sighed, knowing he'd only meant to be playful. Maybe she just _wanted_a reason to be angry with him. She had those damn nightmares nearly every time she closed her eyes. It tormented her, to see Sasuke like that, and a part of her blamed _Itachi_. Just like _he_blamed Itachi. She knew she was wrong for it, but that was one of the reasons that she was still going through with the date. Because she didn't want to be like Sasuke. Didn't want his feelings to influence her own.****

Sighing again, she shook her head. "Okay, fine. I forgive you," she said, smiling down at him and leaning down to give him a light peck on the cheek. He turned his head at the last second, making it a chaste kiss on the lips, and then smirked when she jerked back with a blush. "_Itachi_!"****

xXx

**Many thanks to Azhwi for her support and assistance. I have actually finished I Spy (writing) and started the sequel, so hopefully updates will be more frequent. There are 30 chapters total, so you have about eight more to go.**


	23. Call to Arms

**I Spy  
Chapter 22  
Call to Arms**

xXx****

The morning dawned with a bright red sunrise. People began to stir. The night guard of Konoha prepared to head home. Everything was fine. Everything was perfect, and soon, Itachi would be going on his first date with Sakura.****

He felt confident, maybe even hopeful, for the first time in years.****

His mouth curled into a smile as he tossed one last kunai, finishing his morning workout. _Now, to shower, and wake Sakura_, he thought, trotting to the target. His fingers had grasped the first kunai to pull it out when a shiver raced down his spine. He froze, focusing on his surroundings.**  
**  
But no one was near. He wasn't being watched.****

And then came the scream, feminine, high, and not Sakura. But it came from within the Uchiha compound, from near his home.****

xXx****

"Sakura-chan! SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto shoved his way through the crowd around the entrance of the Uchiha compound, his heart hammering with fear even as he called for his teammate and friend desperately.****

He found Ino just inside, sitting against a tree with her face in her hands and one of Genma's arms around her shoulders. She was sobbing softly, as if unable to help herself. "Ino-chan!" Naruto gasped, ignoring the guards telling him to stay out and rushing over to her. "Are you okay, Ino-chan?"****

"S-so much..." she gasped, and started crying all over again.****

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," Genma said soothingly, looking up at the blond male. "Now's not a good time, Naruto."****

Naruto frowned. "I heard someone was attacked," he said irritably. "Where's Sakura-chan? Where's Itachi? Are they okay? Is she okay?"****

Genma didn't look away, but frowned. "Itachi's at his house with the Godaime and Jiraiya-sama. You can find him there," he said softly.****

A chill froze Naruto in place. "Where's Sakura-chan?" he whispered.****

Ino started crying louder, turning her face into Genma's chest, and Naruto sprang away. He dashed down the house-lined road, all the way to the neat, well-kept house in the back. Gai stood outside, face somber and eyes watching the path. His gaze followed Naruto's approach.****

"You should go, Naruto-kun. You shouldn't go in there," he said, a token attempt to obey his orders and keep anyone else out. "You shouldn't see..."****

Naruto ignored him completely and rushed past, into the main entrance of Itachi and Sakura's house. In the living room, he stopped, blood draining from his face at the scene before him. Blood. So much blood. The living room was trashed, and a couple of nin from sound were discarded on the carpet like unwanted trash.****

But the worst part about it was the blood that couldn't possibly belong to either dead body. The blood that could only be... "Where's Sakura-chan?" he demanded of the three in the room.****

They had all turned at his entrance, watched him take in the scene with grim dissatisfaction. Itachi stared at the pale blond, and flinched at his question. In answer, he picked up a torn paper from the righted table. It had been pinned to the wall when Ino found the scene.****

Naruto snatched the paper away from Itachi, staring blankly down at the words written there. **'**_And now I've taken your loved one from you too_**'**. No signature, no explanation, just that sole cryptic explanation.****

"I don't understand," the blond whispered blankly, looking up at his teacher, his Hokage. At Itachi. "I don't understand." He shook his head. "Where's Sakura-chan?"****

Tsunade looked away, unable to meet his gaze. She couldn't answer, but Jiraiya sighed beside her and she didn't try. "He took her, Naruto," the boy's teacher muttered, looking down to stare at the wrecked room.****

"She fought him, hard. Some of this blood is her's, but not all of it. She..." Tsunade shook her head, unable to continue her whispered confirmation.****

"What?" Naruto asked, not getting it. Not wanting to. "I don't understand. Who took her?"****

"You know who took her," Itachi snapped, voice cracking against Naruto's ears with it's suddenness and volume.****

"Sasuke," Tsunade said, face thunderous. Grieving.****

Naruto turned on his heel and dashed out of the house.****

xXx****

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!"****

Kakashi took a step back, warily, from his furious student. "What?" he asked, blinking. He'd only _just_gotten up, and now he had to deal with this?****

Naruto's fist barely missed his cheek, but the blond wasn't really aiming anyway. He stood there, in front of Kakashi's apartment complex at seven in the morning, gasping for breath. "HE TOOK HER, YOU BASTARD!" he yelled, furious beyond words, and then abruptly lowered his voice. "Your _precious_pupil, your prodigious _Uchiha_! He stole my Sakura-chan, you bastard, and it's all your fault! Why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you keep him from coming here? You should have stopped him when he attacked you!"****

Kakashi paled, a ball of ice forming in his stomach. "Sasuke?"****

"Yes!"****

His fault. Kakashi looked away, unable to face Naruto's accusation. "I'm sorry," he muttered helplessly.****

Truthfully, he would have stayed. Should have. But there had been so much pain, blood all over. Sasuke had used his own attack against him, in the cruelest of ways, _thanked_him for teaching it to him! And then Kakashi was barely even able to move, the electricity burning him from the inside out. Still, he'd tried. Got to his feet, even.****

And then there was Jiraiya, Rasengan in hand, attacking from nowhere, and Sasuke had fled. Jiraiya refused to let Kakashi go after him. Insisted that their first priority was Kakashi himself. So Kakashi had had no choice but to give up the chase.****

"Help me get her back."****

Kakashi looked up at the blond, surprised by the determined tone. He blinked, and for a moment, his teacher overlaid the white-cloaked man standing before him. He almost said yes by habit. But he hesitated. Should he? Could he, even? After what happened last time...?****

"I want you there," Naruto said, eyes narrowed angrily. Not at Kakashi, though, the copy nin realized. No, angry with himself, with Sasuke. Not really angry with Kakashi. "Help me get her back. Help me save Sakura-chan."****

Kakashi sighed. "Have you asked the Godaime yet?" he asked softly.****

"I will, but if she says no, I'll go anyway," Naruto replied calmly, and made a show of throwing a kunai into a tree. "I won't let them stop me this time. I will _not_let them."****

Kakashi turned his head, staring at the kunai embedded in the tree, and nodded. "I'll come. Do you plan to come as well, Uchiha-san?"****

Itachi stepped out from behind the tree, face expressionless. "Yes." There was no hesitation in his answer. He turned his gaze to focus on Naruto. "I will convince the Hokage to make it a mission, so we officially have reason to follow him anywhere he takes her. Be ready to leave by noon."****

"Make it an hour and it's a deal," Naruto growled.****

"Fine." Itachi inclined his head to Kakashi and turned away.****

xXx****

Itachi returned to his home once more before they left, taking in the scene of devastation. He could almost imagine her standing there, in the middle of the room. The fallen book by the crumbled bookcase. Once his mother's.****

Crouching beside it, he lifted the book, eyes drawn to the shredded flower on the carpet beneath it. He gingerly touched the long-since-dried petals, brows drawing together.****

She had been looking at this book again. He could never understand her fascination with it. Was it because it was a nin book? Or because it had belonged to Uchiha Mikoto? Sakura had never said. The one time he'd asked her, she'd just smiled oddly and told him he probably wouldn't understand. He'd left it be.****

Now, he wished he had asked her. Wished he had come in an hour earlier. Checked on her sooner. Been there to save her.****

"Sakura," he whispered, and sighed.****

The Uchiha straightened up, closing the book gently and setting it on the coffee table. Then he scooped up the flower and set it beside the book. He stared at them, sitting on the table there, and curled his fingers into fists.****

Itachi turned away, only to pause. A flash of light, gleaming off of something reflective. And there, on the floor, by the spot where once had rested a dead body. A necklace with emerald lilies, made of intricately twisted white gold. The gift he'd given Sakura.****

Rage festered, and the Uchiha heir grabbed the necklace before leaving to meet his newly assembled team.****

xXx****

Five men were assembled in front of the gates, inside Konoha. Between them and the gates stood their Hokage, Shizune and Shikamaru. The blonde woman had crossed her arms, waiting for the last man to arrive. Finally, when a pile of beetles came from the ground and formed into Shino, the blonde stepped up.****

All five straightened, faces grim or stone-like. "You are assembled here to depart on an _immediate_search and rescue mission. This morning, Haruno Sakura, my apprentice, was kidnapped by the nukenin Uchiha Sasuke," Tsunade announced, voice clipped and terse.****

Shizune cleared her throat, and spoke when Tsunade didn't stop her. "There's a very high chance that Sakura-chan is injured and incapable of fighting. Her life may even be in danger."****

"Your first priority," Tsunade interrupted impatiently, "Is recovery of Sakura. Return her here and make _sure_her life is not lost in the process." She frowned. "I am assigning Uchiha Itachi as your team leader. This mission is S-ranked, classified as ANBU. Normally, I would send Hunter nin in your stead. However, as Naruto would go out anyway, the best thing I can do is equip him with those best suited to the task. And that would be you."****

Itachi glanced over his squad. Shino and Yamato had been chosen to join them, since the two of them were more subjective to the matter than either Naruto or Kakashi. _Or myself_, he admitted silently.****

"Now get her back," the Hokage barked. "Dismissed!"****

Itachi darted past her without another thought, Naruto and then the rest close behind. He gestured Kakashi to the front. "Track them."****

Kakashi nodded and skidded to a stop, the rest pausing with him. He tugged a scroll from his hip pouch and let it fall open, biting his thumb. Then he slid it along the scroll, smearing blood, and summoned his dogs. Three.****

"I need something Sakura-chan has touched recently," Kakashi said, looking toward Naruto by habit.****

Itachi pulled the necklace from his pouch. "Does this work?" he asked, holding it out.****

Kakashi blinked down at it for half a second, then took it gingerly and held it out to Pakkun. "Is it enough?" he asked the small dog.****

Pakkun sniffed if for a moment and then nodded. "Yes. We can use this. She's handled it often, it smells like."****

The other two dogs sniffed it and then the three of them investigated the immediate area for a beat. "This way!" the big bulldog shouted, and they took off after the dogs.****

xXx****

Deidara held his hand out, and a small white sparrow landed on his outstretched palm. He was silent a beat, and then he yelped victoriously. "This is our chance, un!" he crowed loudly.****

Tobi, dozing in a nearby tree, nearly fell out of it. "Eeh? Sempai, don't be so loud, Tobi's trying to sleep," he complained.****

Deidara allowed himself a moment to pummel the idiot. "Shut up! We have to send a message to leader, un! Itachi's left Konoha."****

Tobi rubbed his aching skull, sniffling loudly. "What do you mean, sempai? Itachi-san's left on a mission?"****

Deidara grinned, visible blue eye flashing knowingly. "_Apparently_, the Uchiha brat kidnapped Itachi's girlfriend. Now they're off to rescue her."****

Tobi hopped up and down excitedly. "Oh, oh, I know! I know! Tobi and sempai can attack them on the way! And then we can get lots of praises from Leader!" He bobbed his head.****

"No!" Deidara snapped, annoyed, and smacked Tobi upside the head. "We'll wait until after they're done fighting with Uchiha, then attack when they're exhausted, un."****

Tobi gasped in awe. "You're so smart, sempai! Now if only you were good enough not to get caught jerking-"****

Deidara beat the tar out of him again.****

xXx****

It was the tiniest noise that alerted the former mist nin, and he rolled out of his perch in the tree where he'd been dozing. There wasn't even a splash as he landed in the river, like a feather on Jello. No ripple, no sign of him left behind.****

And then there were Konoha nin dashing by over head. Some were familiar. Others he'd never seen before. Uzumaki and Hatake dashed by, and Itachi alighted on a tree branch _right_above the hidden nin. An unfamiliar brown-haired man dashed by after the others, even as Itachi looked down into the water.****

Kisame _knew_Itachi couldn't see him, but he also knew that his former partner was too good to miss his presence. He knew the former mist nin was there, in the river, hidden with a genjutsu.****

And then he leapt from the branch to follow his fellows, another nin passing after him. Kisame stayed where he was for twenty minutes before he finally got out of the water and followed.****

Something was wrong.****

xXx****

Sasuke dropped his unconscious burden to the floor of his hideout. The stone doors were being closed by two sound nin behind him, using a minor stone jutsu. He ignored them and dropped to his knees beside the rosette kunoichi.****

His gaze on her beaten form was empty, but inside he was screaming with fury. His left ulna, in his arm, was broken. Completely shattered, and the radius was in several pieces, though it would be easier to heal. His collar bone was cracked in three places, and he had at _least_three broken ribs.****

But compared to the three sound nin he'd taken with him? He was in pique condition. Two had been all but pulverized to bloody sausage meat back in Konoha. The other had eventually died along the way.****

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin cried, jerking his concentration back to the room he was in.****

He looked up to find her staring at his bloody, bruised form in shock. "Karin. Make sure she doesn't die. If she dies, I'll kill you," he said blankly, struggling back to his feet.****

"I'll be in my room," he added belatedly, and left her with the near dead mednin. He collapsed on his bed as soon as he was alone.****

xXx**  
**

**Thanks once again to Azhwi for egging me on and inspiring me. It's thanks to you that I was able to write so much! Love you!**


	24. Rescue Sakura Pt 1

**I ****Spy**

**Chapter**** 23**

**Rescue ****Sakura**

**Part**** 1**

**Tracking ****Sasuke**

xXx

The trip was mostly silent. Nobody suggested any breaks, nobody wanted to stop. Hours passed, with the only communication that between Kakashi and his dogs, then Kakashi and Itachi.

Finally, though, Itachi forced their group to take a short break. "We don't want to over-exert ourselves," he said. "And we've closed in enough that we can rest for a moment."

Though Naruto complained - loudly - it was a simple matter to subdue the blond with a few choice words about stupidity and wasting the potential of his teammates. Naruto eventually relented and went to sulk near a tree, and Shino followed to offer his silent support.

Meanwhile, Kakashi stepped over to their leader, eying him calmly. "Are you alright?" he asked after a pause.

Itachi nodded. "I'll be fine. Where's the necklace?"

Kakashi handed it over carefully. "I'll need it again in a moment. Are you _sure_ you're alright, Itachi-san?"

"Yes," Itachi said, sighing. It was just after two, and though they had been traveling for several hours, he was truly fine. He was an ex-nukenin, after all. He was used to running.

Kakashi nodded, looking away and dropping the subject. Instead, he picked up a new one. "Is our... ah, _shadow_ going to cause us any problems?"

The Uchiha wasn't really surprised that Kakashi knew about Kisame's pursuit. He studied the copy nin silently. Then he shook his head. "He will not interfere unless necessary, and even then, it would be in our favor."

"Your favor, you mean," Kakashi corrected mildly, returning his gaze to the Uchiha's face.

Itachi didn't grace that with a response, and instead straightened from his perch against the trunk of a tree. "Let's go," he said, raising his voice.

The dogs crowded around Kakashi, and he retrieved the necklace for them to smell again. And then they were off again.

The next time they stopped was three hours later. And it was Shino that stopped, suddenly darting off course to leave the others to follow or stay behind. They followed.

Soon enough, they found out what had caught his attention. A dead body, at least half a day old, was rotting in a patch of sun. Naruto made a sound deep in his throat and covered his nose with both hands. The dogs refused to approach within ten feet at all.

The body _stunk_.

Grimacing, Kakashi crouched by the body and turned it over to lay on it's back. A sound headband, cracked and covered in blood, mud and something that the copy nin wasn't sure he wanted to identify. "He must have died on the trip," Shino commented beside him.

Kakashi nodded and stood, making a face behind his mask. Naruto perked at the comment. "Maybe Sakura-chan woke up?"

Itachi shook his head, eying the body critically. "No. He wouldn't have died immediately with these wounds. It was a slow death." And a painful one. A sadistic part of Itachi gloated briefly over this fact.

Kakashi's jaw tightened. "He couldn't continue. Sasuke left him behind," he said darkly.

"Bastard," Naruto snarled, fingers curling into fists.

Itachi sighed and gestured them back. "Yamato." When the man stepped up next to him, he nodded to the body. "Can you make some cover for it, perhaps something that looks like a tree."

Yamato nodded. "Yes, Uchiha-taicho."

Itachi waited until Yamato had done as he'd asked. Then he stepped up to the cover and laid a genjutsu over it, one that would hide the body from sight and make the "tree" seem genuine. "Naruto."

The blond, ignored by his captain for the most part up until then, started. "Uh, yeah?"

"Make a kage bunshin and send it back to Hokage-sama with the location of this body. She'll know what to do," Itachi ordered.

Naruto, bemused, nodded slowly. "Alright," he agreed, and obeyed. The second Naruto shrugged at Yamato's quirked brow. "See you later," he said, and dashed off, leaving the original behind.

"Let's go," Itachi said, a repetition of earlier.

xXx

Kisame landed noiselessly on a branch and launched himself up the tree, coming to a stop on one of the highest branches that could support his weight. He quickly performed a small genjutsu to blend himself in with his surroundings and waited.

Ten minutes passed before he saw the first sign, in the form of a tiny, colorless bird. The thing was too white to be real, even if it had the animation of a real animal. It landed on a branch of a different tree, casually, and pecked at the branch. It paused, looking around, and then fluttered away, in the direction Itachi and his team had gone.

Moments later, Deidara and Tobi darted in, and stopped on the same tree. "They stopped here, un," the blond told his partner.

"Ne, did they reeeaaallly?" Tobi asked dubiously.

Deidara scowled. "Yes," he snapped. "My bird said so, un!"

"How can your dumb bird know that! It's made out of _clay_, sempai," Tobi pointed out, tone clearly questioning Deidara's sanity. That, and his intelligence.

"It's following Itachi's chakra, un!" Deidara snapped, furious.

Tobi leaned back, his visible eye widening dramatically. "Sempai... your birdy knows what Itachi-san's chakra feels like? Does that mean you've peeked in on Itachi-san before?"

Deidara was so furious that he was incapable of replying, and so Tobi just shrugged and went on after the bird. "Hurry, sempai! Or Tobi will leave you behind!"

After they'd vacated the area, Kisame allowed himself to roll his eyes, and then followed.

xXx

Sakura surfaced to consciousness slowly. She must have been aware for a little while before she realized it, because she couldn't remember when she'd awoken. Her eyes were shut. Her body hurt all over, feeling like one big bruise. It was so heavy, and she had trouble breathing. Her lungs physically hurt from the strain of trying.

It took a while before she was able to analyze it any further. There was something warm and hard around her wrists, and her ankles. She was sitting up. The realization that she was shackled to the wall finally succeeded in waking her a little more.

She forced her eyes open, her head resting on her chest so she was looking down. Her body was covered in bandages, and her leg was in a splint. _Splint__. __Broken__. __Right__fibula__fractured__in__three__places__, __near__ankle__, __near__knee__, __two__inches__past__that__. __Right__tibia__bruised__but__unbroken__._

The diagnosis was automatic, and before she registered anything else, she was self-diagnosing the rest. _Bruised__femur__, __fractured__ribs__- __two__. __Bruised__all__over__the__left__arm__, __dangerous__bruising__near__the__left__scapula_. The rest wasn't really enough to note, thankfully, and she wasn't going to die. But there was one thing that was obvious to Sakura; she'd been treated with medical jutsu.

Slowly, sluggishly, she lifted her head, eyes seeking out the man she already knew was there. He was watching her with an unblinking gaze, standing in the shadows. "Sakura," he said softly. "You're awake. Good."

If she wasn't bound by chakra cuffs, with only tiny slivers of chakra able to leak through, she would tear her arms out of the wall and beat him to a bloody pulp. Again. "Wha-" The word was cut off by a bout of breathless coughing. Recently healed lung tissue. Oh, she was going to _kill_ this bastard!

"Don't bother talking. Karin informs me it will be dangerous to you," Sasuke continued, apparently not caring that she was trying not to hack up a lung. "You always did talk too much."

She glared at him mutinously once she'd gotten her coughing under control. The bitch had left the fluid there! Ohhh, if she got her hands on that little imp...

Sasuke had fallen silent again, which really wasn't all that unusual. Rather than talking, he was surveying her as she sat there helplessly. His face was expressionless, eyes shuttered against emotion. She really couldn't read him anymore. Not that she'd ever been particularly adept at it.

Sakura looked away from him, unable to face his doll-like facade. Swallowing carefully, she tried to speak again, and was marginally more successful. "Why?" she half-whispered, and paused to take a tiny, slow breath. "Why do... you have to do this? Why, Sasuke?"

There was no response, so she looked up at him again. He hadn't moved, and didn't look like he planned on answering her at all. He just watched her. So she swallowed again, carefully, and continued. "Do you... have _any_ idea... Naruto... he'd do anything to have you back. He really would." She stopped, watching his face for any reaction. There was none. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "You know. You just don't care," she concluded, heart breaking all over again.

Sure, she had gone through this before. Lost faith in him. In this boy that she had once loved so much. Hearing Itachi's claim of Sasuke's disregard was different from being here and witnessing it first hand. A part of her didn't believe it, a part still hoped that Sasuke held some love for his former team. For her. But here he was, Sasuke, standing there like everything was fine.

Like it was _perfectly_ natural to have your former teammate locked up in your dungeon.

Drawing a breath through her nose, she shook her head. "You never did. Anyone that got in your way was just one more thing to get rid of, right?" she asked slowly. "Naruto. Kakashi. Those nin I killed."

"And you?" he said softly, suddenly. "That's why you're upset, isn't it, Sakura?"

She blinked, surprised. She honestly hadn't expected him to respond at all. Least of all to confirm her suspicions in such a way. She nodded slowly. "Maybe, it was." She gave him a small smile. "You know, once, I really... _really_ loved you. You were everything to me."

His lip curled slightly, in a contemptuous smirk. "Not so much anymore," he said accusingly.

She laughed breathlessly, and winced at the strain on her slowly mending lung. "Are you jealous, Sasuke? Is that it?"

"Of course not," he rebuked. "That's ridiculous. I never cared about you, you silly girl."

"I know."

He blinked, and his face went blank again. Impossible to read. He fell silent once more.

Had that hurt him? She couldn't help but wonder that. But she wouldn't be able to know. She'd never read him right, not since the beginning. His signals always crossed. When they were younger, she couldn't tell if he liked her or if he hated her guts. It was always back and forth with him.

Though now, she was pretty sure it was the latter.

"You know," he said softly, so softly that at first she wasn't sure if she heard it. "Once, I had-"

The door suddenly slammed open, and a bespectacled redhead appeared in sight. "Sasuke-kun! There's a group of nin not far from here! We should prepare."

Sasuke straightened from the wall and left with the woman, and Sakura was alone. She wondered, what had he been about to say?

xXx

Itachi motioned the group to a stop, and then on further consideration, to retreat for a moment. They quickly backtracked to a river they'd passed a little while before. "He's close," Kakashi said as soon as it was safe to speak.

Itachi crouched on a tree branch, frowning at the copy nin one tree over. Naruto landed in a branch higher up on Kakashi's tree, while Shino and Yamato settled in nearby trees as well. The captain glanced around, frowning. Kisame had drawn back further. Why?

"How close?" Yamato asked, tilting his head and eying his companions.

Kakashi quirked a brow at Pakkun, who'd come to rest on the same branch as his master. "In all likelihood, the cave we'd seen before backtracking."

"We're officially in enemy territory," the bulldog said from the ground. "Deep, deep in enemy territory."

"Let's get going then! We can't give teme a chance to prepare!" Naruto said anxiously.

Itachi frowned, but Shino spoke up in his stead. "Naruto-kun, it is highly probable that Uchiha Sasuke has already had ample time to prepare for our arrival. He must have arrived several hours before us."

"If he has any common sense at all, he'd have known Konoha would pursue the kidnapper of one of our most favored mednin," Kakashi said grimly. "He would have acted with this in mind."

"Meaning that we'll probably be walking into a trap," Yamato mused.

The third dog, a terrier sitting above Yamato, nodded. "Mm! I can smell gunpowder. There are bombs set nearby, I think."

Itachi frowned at that. Gunpowder...? Why was that familiar? Kakashi spoke up again. "Gunpowder? That's a first. Sasuke normally relies on his fire jutsu instead of bombs, or his electric-element."

"Well, how are we gonna find the bombs?" Naruto demanded. "Are they mines?"

"Kensin," Itachi spoke up, looking at the terrier. "Can you smell refined clay? Is it possible?"

But the sandy-colored dog shook it's head. "No, there's a lot of clay in the earth in this area. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the raw stuff and the purified stuff."

Itachi frowned. It had been worth a try. But it probably wasn't Deidara anyway. The bomber rarely used gunpowder. He found it to be too, what was it he'd said...? Too 'unartistic'. Idiot.

"Why?" Naruto asked, blinking at Itachi in confusion.

The Uchiha shook his head. "Nevermind."

Naruto opened his mouth to push it, but suddenly, Shino leapt at him, knocking him from the tree. Not even a second later, as the others all realized what was going on and were leaping away, a small bomb bounced against the tree where Naruto had been and exploded.

The group were officially under attack, and by a bomb-wright, it would seem. Itachi cursed irony, even as the man appeared below them. Tall, brown eyes and hair, purple rope around his waist. And in either hand he carried round bombs with burning wicks.

One was tossed at Itachi, and the other in the direction Kakashi had gone. Then the man was engaged by Yamato, who'd recovered from dodging quickly.

Itachi was about to assist the plain ANBU man, but before he could, he himself was drawn into a trap. Not that he hadn't expected as much.

Genjutsu. All around him, leaves caught on fire, and something wrapped around his neck, hissing horribly. Itachi blinked, red creeping into his eyes.

xXx

Meanwhile...

Naruto and Shino tumbled to the forest floor, the bomb exploding above them. Shino groaned in pain, gripping his side. Naruto got quickly to his feet. "Shino, you okay?"

"Shrapnel," Shino grunted. "It's not fatal, but it hurts."

Naruto nodded, though he was clearly worried. "How bad is it? Can you move?"

"You shouldn't worry about the bug boy," a voice chortled from behind the blond. "Worry about me."

Naruto spun around, taking in the purple haired, blue eyed male standing there. He wore a familiar purple rope around his waist, and dark blue clothing. He was short, and skinny, but apparently light on his feet. Naruto hadn't even heard him approach.

The jinchurriki bared his teeth. "We're here for Sakura-chan! Surrender her, and I won't have to hurt you."

The other boy laughed, grinning in an almost friendly manner. "Oh! So you came after all! Well, Sasuke-sama said we should be prepared for 'that blond idiot's arrival'." He waved. "I'm Mayuri! Nice to meet you finally, Uzumaki-kun!"

Only more irritated by the boy's disregard of him, Naruto took a step. "Where's Sakura-chan?" he demanded.

The boy, Mayuri, shrugged. "Who knows. You should ask Sasuke-sama. Maybe he'll tell you. Of course, you can't until you've gone through me." He beamed, lifted his hands and tugged them. The wire that had wrapped itself around Naruto in his distraction tightened...

And then went lax, empty. Mayuri frowned. "Huh...?"

A hand patted Mayuri's shoulder. "Better luck next time," Naruto said from behind him.

xXx

Yamato's fight with the bomb-wright drew him farther away from his team than he would have liked. But still, he could feel the others fighting, their chakra spiking high as they fought against their individual opponents. Shino appeared to be distressed somehow, but as he was with Naruto, Yamato decided to push that to the back of his mind.

And anyway, he didn't really have the time to think. The bomber kept attacking him with bombs, drawing him farther and farther away. And farther and farther away from their destination. This was getting him nowhere, but the bomber wasn't letting up for even an instant. The best he could do was defend himself.

A bomb sailed right at him, and Yamato performed a quick kawarimi, replacing himself with a log. He looked up, eyes widening, as a bomb approached him again. He didn't have time to escape, and threw his arms up as if that would make a difference.

The bomber crowed victoriously when his bomb landed a hit. "Yeah!"

xXx

Kakashi was forced into retreat. His adorable nin dogs had already left, since he'd dismissed them for fear of them getting hurt. He couldn't tell where anyone else was, not with this Earth jutsu user coming after him. The girl had appeared out of nowhere and attacked, claiming that she'd 'finally beat Karin-kun into Sasuke's affections'.

Kakashi had nearly groaned in exasperation. What was with that boy and fangirls? Not even Itachi had that many, and aesthetically speaking, he was more attractive.

Still, Kakashi was having more issues fighting this girl than was technically appropriate. He was a freaking ANBU, for pete's sake. He shouldn't be having this sort of trouble fighting a girl that was Chuunin level at best.

And yet, any time he went on the offensive, she redoubled her efforts and slammed him with more and more jutsu! It was ridiculous. And what was worse, she didn't appear to actually be trying to kill him. Just... delay him. The same appeared to be happening with Yamato.

Which meant that they weren't the targets. Then who was? Itachi? Naruto? It had to be one or the other. He must find out.

Eye narrowing on the girl, he came to a stop on a tree branch, watching her pant where she stood. Then he reached up and shoved his hitai-ate out of the way, Sharringan whirling. Her eyes widened. "No way!"

xXx

Knocking his opponent out was easier than expected. Naruto finished tying the boy up and started toward Shino when he heard and saw the massive explosion. His face paled as his head snapped around, eyes widening. Yamato-taicho had been over there! Was he hurt? Was he okay?

"Naruto-kun?" Shino grunted, pale with blood loss. "Go find him. I'll be okay for a few minutes..."

Naruto looked at the bug nin, torn. Should he investigate Yamato? Stay with Shino? Which was more important?

Then Naruto slapped his face with his palm. "What am I thinking?" he complained, and performed his favorite jutsu. The copy went off to see what was going on with Yamato, while the original pulled out his small med kit. "I can't do much..."

"Just bandage the wound. My kikai are keeping too much blood from flowing for now, but a bandage would help," Shino replied, ashen-faced.

Naruto nodded worriedly and set to work. Halfway through, he stiffened and sat up straight. "Woah, long distance," he said, and shook his head. "Got to find Itachi..."

Shino frowned. "What?" he asked.

"My bunshin that left earlier to contact the Hokage. He just dispelled," Naruto clarified, and finished wrapping Shino's wound.

xXx

The smoke cleared and the bomber's grin faded. Rather than human sausage meat spread across the forest floor, a dismantled, empty casing of wooden beams had taken his opponent's place.

And said opponent was nowhere in sight. "Eh? Where'd you go, coward?!" he yelled.

A shadow loomed behind him, an arm around his shoulders. "You shouldn't let down your guard," his opponent murmured, and drew a kunai across his throat.

The body dropped to the ground and Yamato turned away. Naruto appeared, eyes darting toward Yamato's opponent, and he grimaced. "Did you-? No, nevermind," the blond said, shaking his head. "We can't afford to be sentimental. You're okay?"

"A little bruised, a few scrapes, but I'm fine, Naruto-kun," Yamato assured him.

"Alright. Return to me and Shino. We have to find Itachi." He lifted his hands and dispelled, and Yamato took off to find the others.

He arrived in time to watch Kakashi and then Itachi flicker into view. Naruto frowned. "Do any of you know any medical jutsu at all?" the blond asked, gesturing toward Shino.

"I know enough to seal the wound," Kakashi said, frowning. "In theory. I can't do much more than that, though."

"Then do it," Itachi said. "Your opponents are dealt with?"

"Mine ran away," Kakashi said, frowning. "Something about a fallen friend."

"I killed my opponent a few minutes ago," Yamato said. "Might of been him."

"Probably," the copy nin agreed, kneeling in front of Shino. "This will be a patch job at best, Shino-san. We'll have to see if Sakura-chan is up to doing anything more once we get her back."

"If she doesn't need her chakra to heal herself," Itachi amended. "She might."

None of them touched the subject that she might not be alive at all. That was unfathomable. Instead, Naruto changed the subject. "My bunshin reached the Hokage and I have news for you," he told Itachi.

"What is it?"

"He was a former wanted mist nin," Naruto relayed. "Also, the Hokage has amended her orders... We are to retrieve Sakura-chan... and she said we are to kill or capture Sasuke, too."

Itachi frowned, but nodded. He'd expected as much. "Fine."

Naruto looked away as Kakashi sat back from sealing the wound on Shino. They fell silent for a moment before the blond spoke again. "I don't know... what I want right now. Part of me wants to beat the tar out of teme for what he's done. But... I don't know if I could kill him."

"You won't have to," Itachi replied grimly. "It's my duty. If his death is our only option, you may stand back."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, but... I want to try to capture Sasuke, first. I want answers. I want to understand what he's thinking. So we need to capture him..."

"Hm," was the only response he received. "We'll rest here, for one hour. And then we will pick up the search again."

xXx

**Sorry ****for ****the ****late ****update****! ****To ****make ****it ****up ****to ****you****, ****I****'****ll ****be ****updating ****IS ****AND ****Something ****of ****a ****Mystery ****today****.**


	25. Rescue Sakura Pt 2

**I Spy****  
****Chapter 24  
Rescue Sakura  
Part 2****  
****Not so Metaphorically Buried******

xXx****

Sakura had managed to clear out her lungs and finish mending them with the little chakra she had. Now, she was painstakingly working on mending her leg. With nothing else to do, it was easy to focus on such an ordinary - if tedious - task.  
**  
**The door opened, and she looked up, watching Sasuke step into the room. She fought the irrational urge to laugh. "You know, dressed like that, you sort of remind me of the diabolical villain, preparing to boast to the captured hero that he's going to burn the village," she said, smirking. "Is that what you're going to do?"****

Sasuke smirked at her. "Would that make you the hero, Sakura?"****

She shrugged carelessly. "Meh. Probably."****

"You're not very modest." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "You used to be."****

Sakura looked away. "I'm not the little girl you used to know, Sasuke."****

He pushed away from the wall and knelt beside her, fingers grasping the necklace around her throat. "Yes. I know," he murmured, eying it. "This is my brother's."****

**"**Yes. He gave it to me," Sakura said nervously. "Before he..." She stopped. "How did you know?"****

Sasuke ran his thumb over the metal disks, an odd look in his eye that she couldn't quite identify. "I gave it to him," he said softly.****

Sakura's jaw dropped, just a little, as the emotion there became clear. "You still care. About Itachi," she whispered.****

He stiffened, raising his eyes to meet hers. They burned with anger. He squared his jaw and straightened. "The next time you see me, I'll have Itachi. Maybe, if you're good, I'll let you live. But don't get your hopes up."****

She scowled. "Coward!" she yelled after him, even as the door shut in his wake. Why the hell wouldn't he just admit it? That bastard!****

xXx****

The group was preparing to take off when Shino suddenly tensed. "Our shadow's here," Kakashi commented warily.****

Itachi straightened from his crouch on the forest floor, leg holster firmly in place. "Kisame," he greeted calmly.****

The former mist nin stepped out of the shade of a large oak. "Hey, Itachi." He glanced at the others, noting their various stances. Kakashi's cautious curiosity, Naruto's baffled wariness. Shino's unreadable, tense calm. Yamato's watchful distrust. But none of them moved to apprehend him. Perhaps because they were awaiting Itachi's orders. Perhaps because they wished to observe.****

**"**Where'd you come from?" Naruto demanded after a beat, frowning. "Were you following us?"****

Kisame smirked. "Not very observant, are you, kid?"****

Before Naruto could respond, Itachi turned toward Kisame. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "It would be our duty to apprehend you and bring you back for questioning."****

**"**Yeah, I suppose so," Kisame said with a shrug, not appearing to think they actually would. "But you have to rescue the girl, don't you? And anyway, I'm not a threat to you."****

**"**Hm." Itachi's hand moved away from his holster finally. "What did you want, Kisame?"****

**"**Akatsuki's been following you," Kisame replied, crossing his arms. He jerked his head to indicate the way they'd come from. "Tobi and Deidara. They're waiting until after you're done fighting the kid to attack."**  
**

A silver brow lifted at this news. **"**How considerate of them," Kakashi commented blandly.****

**"**They're waiting until you're injured and exhausted," Kisame retorted. "You don't have to believe me, Hatake, but at least err on the side of caution."****

Kakashi was unimpressed, but he wasn't a fool. "Your advice is noted, Hoshigaki-san," he replied coolly.****

**"**Oi, oi," Naruto piped up, brow furrowed. He turned his attention to Itachi, who waited calmly for him to continue. "Is he an enemy, or what? He helped us out when Akatsuki tried to capture you last time..." He trailed off in confusion, shrugging.****

Itachi eyed the jinchurriki for a beat before turning that searching gaze onto his former partner. "He is not our enemy," he finally admitted, softly as if loath to admit it. _At least, not for the moment._****

Kisame smirked. "Glad you finally admit it, Itachi-san. Do you need help?"****

**"**From _you_?" Yamato asked. His tone wasn't so much insulting as it was bemused.****

The blue-skinned nukenin shrugged. "Why not? Though the help isn't for you. It's for Itachi-san."****

**"**Ah," Yamato said, in an 'I understand' sort of tone. However, he didn't clarify further and instead merely changed the subject. "Well then, since that's settled, Taicho?"****

Itachi nodded. "Naruto-kun, you will come with me to engage Sasuke. Hatake, Aburame, you two need to stay out here to make sure the Akatsuki operatives do not engage us while we are dealing with the situation inside. Yamato-san, search out Sakura and ascertain her condition. If it is possible to move her, do so." He turned to Kisame, quirking a brow.**  
**  
"I'll be coming with you," Kisame said without Itachi having to ask.****

Kakashi coughed lightly, earning Itachi's attention. "Will we need help tracking?" he asked. "I can summon Pakkun again and send him with you, after Sasuke..."****

**"**That would be appreciated," Itachi agreed with a single nod.****

A few minutes later, Pakkun was summoned and they went on their way. Shino and Kakashi halted by the roughly hewn stone doors while the rest of them darted inside the cave-like building.****

Yamato split off from them, following the distinct feeling of Sakura's weakened chakra. The rest ran through the main chamber. The entrance behind them suddenly sealed with an earth-shaking motion, and Itachi skidded to a stop.****

A girl stood there, smiling. "Yo! I'm Sayaka-chan, and I'm going to stop all of you here! Well, except you, Itachi-kun! Sasuke-kun says that you're to be allowed through."****

Naruto snorted. "Damn. Itachi, you go ahead. I can deal with her."****

Itachi hesitated. "You cannot be left alone, Naruto-kun."****

**"**I'll stay with the girl," Kisame said, sighing. "You two go on." He heaved Samehada off of his back, smirking. "This'll be cake."****

Itachi nodded and streaked away. Naruto started to follow, but as soon as Itachi passed through the chamber entrance, it sealed shut. He cursed. "Oiiii!" he yelled, spinning to glower at the girl. And he couldn't even use Hiraishin to follow Itachi, since Itachi didn't have any of Naruto's tags with him.****

**"**I already said, didn't I?" the black-haired girl demanded as the angry blond tugged out his tanto. "Just Itachi-kun! Besides, I'm plenty enough for both of you!"****

Kisame chuckled mirthlessly. "Why do people keep underestimating me these days? What, the guy _without_the clouds isn't as scary as he was with them?"****

xXx****

Itachi darted into a new cavern, chagrined about his separation from Naruto. Still, perhaps it was for the best. This fight should be between him and Sasuke.****

However, when he took in the new room, he frowned. It was a dead end, and Sasuke wasn't here. The only occupant of the room was a stunned-looking girl sitting on the bed in the corner. He was _sure_he'd felt Sasuke's chakra here...****

**"**Oh, shit, you're early," the girl said, frowning. "That damn Sayaka! She was supposed to delay you! She must have gotten too excited."****

Itachi's eyes narrowed on the talkative girl. "Where is Sasuke?"****

**"**He went to check on the prisoner," the girl said with a shrug. "Anyway, there's nothing you can do now but wait... and you have to wait, Uchiha-san." She stood, frowning. "I'll make you, so Sasuke-sama can get here soon."****

Relief was a heady thing within him, slowing the race of his pulse. _Sakura's alive..._ In the next instant, Itachi pushed the thought away and focused on his new opponent. His body loosened in preparation, and all other thoughts faded to the background. He had no time for distractions.****

xXx****

Yamato darted along the passages, finally arriving in what appeared to be a jutsu-made dungeon. There was a wooden door on the back wall, through which Sakura's chakra seeped feebly. But investigating her would have to wait, because standing between Yamato and the door was none other than Uchiha Sasuke himself. He seemed to have just exited the room, in fact.****

The Uchiha stared at Yamato expressionlessly for a few minutes, as Yamato kept his eyes away from Sasuke's own. It was a pain, being enemies with a Sharringan user.****

**"**... Yamato-san, right?" Sasuke finally asked. "You're here to rescue Sakura."****

**"**Yes," Yamato replied. There was no point in denying it. "And to either capture or kill you. Those are our orders."****

The younger male huffed. "Sounds just like Konoha. Where's Naruto?"Sasuke remained unreadable, but... perhaps Yamato could detect a note of irritation in his voice? "And Itachi as well?"****

Yamato neither answered him nor mentioned Kisame. If Sasuke couldn't sense the blue man, then he certainly wasn't about to correct the boy's mistake. "Release Sakura and turn yourself in," the plain man demanded instead.****

The corner of Sasuke's mouth tilted upward, arrogance clearly read in the gesture. "No," he said, and pulled his sword from its sheath. "But I'll kill you." He darted forward.****

xXx****

Sakura looked up at the movement from the corner of her vision. She sobbed softly in relief, watching Yamato come out of the door. "Yamato-taicho!"****

He smiled in greeting. "You're awake. That's a good sign." He eyed the shackles. "Do you know where the key is?"****

She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen it. I've only seen Sasuke... you must have passed him..." She trailed off at the spike of chakra from outside her room. "Oh."****

**"**Wood bunshin," Yamato explained needlessly, kneeling in front of her. His gaze swept over her form. "He treated you?"**  
**  
"Someone named Karin did," she said. "Or that's what he told me."****

Yamato nodded, his hand morphing slightly, and he stuck his finger into the key hole on her wrist quickly. When it had finished morphing, to the size of the lock, he turned his wooden key. The cuff's latch released and it separated in the middle. She drew her arm down as he went after the second cuff, then the loose shackles on her ankles.****

**"**Thank you," she whispered, feeling her chakra reignite with an almost painful tingling. The blood was returning to her hands, and she rubbed them together to speed the process along.****

Yamato cursed as he felt a spike of Sasuke's chakra. He whipped around, even as the door was thrown open by an almost angry Uchiha. Sakura sneered and lifted her good leg, slamming it down against the floor and sending a crack racing for her former teammate.****

However, there was one unforeseen side effect to this little chakra attack. Beneath them was a pocket of tightly contained oxygen cocktail, pressurized to the point that it was _literally_keeping most of the cave structure from collapsing in on itself. But when Sakura punctured the pocket, the combination of natural gases was released, and the pressure was relieved.****

As soon as that pressure relaxed, the stability of the cave structure went down to zero. It caved in, sending Sasuke, Yamato and Sakura tumbling into the newly created hole.****

This, of course, had a domino effect with the floor above them, caving that in and down as well. The fatalities would have been great, but then we're dealing with nin.****

Yamato threw himself over Sakura, creating a sort of reinforced wooden ball. Sasuke dove into the ball right before it sealed itself. Sakura was knocked out by a combination of overwhelming pain and a stray rock to the temple.****

Kisame grabbed Naruto, diving into the earth jutsu user's shelter as they tumbled downward. Karin yelped when Itachi grabbed her wrist and performed an Earth jutsu, locking them in a cube of rock that tumbled into the chamber beneath them.****

And Shino and Kakashi could only watch helplessly as this happened.****

xXx****

Silence finally fell as the rubble settled. Yamato winced and shook his head, pressed against Sasuke uncomfortably in the small wooden ball. There was some room for movement, but not a lot.****

**"**Just-" Yamato coughed on the still settling dust, wincing. "Just so you know," he croaked after a beat, "if I die, the ball collapses."****

Sasuke sneered, clutching his bleeding wrist. "Whatever."****

Yamato shrugged and checked the kunoichi's pulse, sighing in relief. "She's alive." Was it just him, or did Sasuke look just as relieved?****

The Uchiha managed to shift until he was sitting beside Yamato and not on top of him. His gaze was locked on the unconscious kunoichi, expression all but blank. Still, it was his eyes that spoke volumes. There was an intensity there, a focus.****

Yamato had seen the look before, of course, on this man. Once. It was when Sasuke attacked Sakura before. Intending to kill her, to get revenge on his brother for all he'd lost.****

The brunet frowned and shifted her closer, eying her former teammate warily. "I won't let you kill her," he commented. "I'll die first."****

Sasuke smirked darkly at that, and shifted again to reach into his pouch. Yamato tensed, then relaxed when the Uchiha pulled out a roll of bandage and a small bottle of alcohol. "Don't worry. I'll grant your wish soon enough. And then I'll kill Itachi, Kakashi and Aburame."****

Yamato scowled at him, watching as the boy cleaned the gash on his wrist and bandaged it. "And Naruto?"****

Sasuke's smile returned, touched with madness. "Naruto...? Naruto gets to live, and continue living, knowing that he was not able to save anyone."****

"You're insane," Yamato said flatly. "And even if you manage to kill me, or Itachi, or any of the rest of us, Naruto would never, ever let you lay a finger on Sakura-chan."****

Sasuke tied off the bandage and shrugged. "Good. I welcome the challenge. Not that the dobe has ever been much of a challenge."****

Yamato smiled grimly. Sasuke really had no idea.****

xXx****

Kisame scowled as he listened to the Earth jutsu user's nervous chittering. She was babbling about cave ins and Sasuke-kun and oh god what if something _happened_to him? It made Kisame want to off himself. Stupid, babbling, ugly little-****

"WHAT? WHO'RE YOU CALLING UGLY?" she shrieked.****

_Whoops._He'd said that out loud. _Ah well._With a sweet smile - it came off more resembling a predatory leer, due to the shark teeth - he reached over and shut her up. Naruto heaved a relieved sigh as she slumped over, unconscious. "I thought she'd never shut up about teme," he complained, making a face.****

Kisame snorted. "My opinion is the guy wears some sort of pheromone, which turns girls into rabid harpies."****

Naruto's face screwed up as he thought this over. "You think?"****

"Not really, idiot," Kisame retorted. Naruto started to scowl in typical form, so he changed the subject. "Don't suppose you know Earth jutsu?"****

**"**I'm wind, so no," Naruto muttered, a distinct pout to the set of his mouth.****

Kisame ignored it. "Damn. Me neither. Water. Fat lotta good we two are, eh?"****

Naruto considered it, brow furrowing, and Kisame could almost see smoke curling out his ears from the effort. Almost. Finally, he slumped and shook his head. "No. I can't feel any of my seals. They musta been destroyed. I hope the others got out okay."****

Kisame grunted. "Itachi-san's somewhere to our right, and Yamato and Uchiha are below us, so I doubt it."****

**"**Shit," Naruto grumbled, giving the air a sniff. "We're sealed in too..."****

Kisame blinked, and grimaced. That was bad. With the size of the cavern, and the fact that there was three of them there - albeit, one was unconscious and consuming less oxygen - they didn't have very much air to go on. Maybe a couple hours at best. "Keep talking to necessity," Kisame concluded.****

Naruto nodded and bit back the urge to sigh. At this rate, the only thing they could do was... wait. He grimaced. He hated waiting.****

Meanwhile, Kisame was really wishing he hadn't knocked out the stupid Earth jutsu chit...****

xXx****

Why had he grabbed this stupid girl again? She was useless, and talked too much. And was useless. Wait, he'd already covered that, hadn't he?****

He hadn't managed to get through the fall unscathed, though there was nothing fatally serious. There were a couple of long, shallow scratches, but that was it. It was mostly just bruises that he could ignore easily.****

Still, it was an annoyance that he really wished he just didn't have to deal with. Like this stupid woman. Why had he grabbed her again? And what about Sakura? That chakra, right before the cave-in, had unmistakably been hers, and he'd felt Sasuke's and Yamato's chakra signatures spike as well. But now he could barely focus on keeping himself from murdering this woman. She could be useful later, for questioning.****

He grimaced as he shifted, shoving her somewhat off him. His head hurt. A lot. Possibly a concussion. Hm, that would explain his peculiar mood.****

**"**Are you even listening to me?" the woman demanded irately. "I said we need to get out of here! Meaning you need to get us out of here. _You're_the one with the Earth jutsu! I swear! I wish I didn't even have to put up with you!"****

He bit back a scoff. Touche.****

The Uchiha sighed and tried to get his mind back on track. As annoying as she was, she had a point. They _did_have to escape, quickly. Sighing again, faintly, he reached past her in the small space between them and the rock, fingertips trailing over the harsh stone. Cautiously, he sent a short chakra pulse. He had to admit that Earth jutsu wasn't his forte. While he could use it sparingly if necessary, his grasp on it was sub-par at best.****

The chakra pulse revealed that he could possibly shift the rock. It would be slow going, but he should be able to do it. Better now than never, then.****

**"**What are you doing?" the redhead snapped, startled as he started making seals.****

He gave her a flat look, not even pausing, and completed the jutsu. The stone around them slowly started to shift outward, and she yelped and curled closer to him. He very firmly and hopefully thought of Sakura, and how when this was all over, they would finally, _finally_get their first date. The Gods be willing.****

xXx****

It took nearly twenty minutes, but the way was clear and the two quickly climbed out, both relieved to be free. Itachi's gaze darted around the immediate area, noting that it was a mess of piled rock and cave fragments. He turned, automatically slipping into a defensive stance, as a familiar chakra flickered.****

Kakashi appeared in front of him, helping Shino stand with one arm around his waist, and Shino's around the elder nin's shoulders. "Taicho."****

**"**Kakashi. Has anyone else made it out yet?" Itachi asked tersely, grabbing the girl before she could escape. He held her firmly in place, fingers wrapped around her bicep immovably.****

The Copy-Nin shook his head. "No. You're the first. Far as I can tell, none of the others are moving. I can't feel Sakura at all." His gaze swept over Itachi, finally landing on his temple. "You're bleeding."****

Itachi blinked and reached up, fingers brushing at his hairline, and pulled his hand away. The digits were coated in blood. His frown deepened. Thus the source of the concussion. "I'll deal with it later. Our first priority is Sakura, and the retrieval of our teammates."****

Kakashi nodded. "Alright."****

Movement, out of the corner of Itachi's eye. He turned his head, watching a butterfly flutter toward the kunoichi. "Move!" he barked, jerking her back as it exploded. He barely noted that Kakashi had dodged with his own burden.****

There was excited laughter raining down from above, and Itachi looked up, unsurprised to find Deidara. _Damn._ He had been hoping they would wait longer before engaging. Apparently, luck was not on his side today. Then again, it never was.****

Itachi shoved the girl behind him. "Find the others," he ordered.****

She scoffed. "You think I'm going to _help_you?" she demanded incredulously.****

The Uchiha was already flickering through hand seals. "Then free Sasuke." He got no answer for that, as she'd realized he was right and scrambled away to find his brother. Hopefully, she would unearth Yamato and Sakura as well.****

Itachi finished the seals, inhaled, gathered chakra in his chest, and exhaled a great ball of flame at Deidara. The blond yelped and flipped back off his bird, disappearing in the smoke of the explosion created from the collision. Itachi darted forward, eyes glowing crimson. Somewhere off to his right, Kakashi was already engaged with Tobi, the Copy-Nin striving to protect their injured teammate.****

Itachi pushed this observation aside, stopping on a hair trigger and flipping back twice, the ground where he'd been exploding. "BASTAAARRRD!" Deidara yelled, then laughed. "I'm gonna make you go BOOM!"****

**"**You never change," the darker nin muttered under his breath. He stiffened when a butterfly fluttered into his face, and exploded. Itachi dissolved into a flock of crows, and came up out of the ground beneath his excitable opponent, dragging him into the damaged rock.****

Deidara yelled, and promptly imploded.****

xXx****

Karin scrambled over the rocks, quickly zeroing in on Sasuke's chakra. She started digging, using chakra to help her move the heavier rocks. Finally, she moved a rock and found empty space beneath it. "Sasuke-sama!" she called hopefully.****

**"**Guess again, 'ttebayo!" a voice yelled eagerly, and the rock around her seemed to explode, tossing her aside as the blond inside escaped.****

**"**You rat!" Karin shrieked, coughing at the resulting cloud of dust.****

There was echoing coughing, from another source inside the hole. "Goddammit, Naruto, watch it! You nearly killed me with that stunt!" Kisame yelled, climbing out. He glanced around, found Karin, and threw the Earth jutsu user at her, sending both tumbling. Then he jerked his head left, right and rolled it around, popping it, and finished by working the kinks from his shoulders. "You're so fucking reckless, kid."  
**  
****"**Oh shut up," Naruto groused, also stretching. Then he stalked over to Karin and picked her up by the front of her shirt. "Where the fuck is Sakura-chan?"****

She paled, taking in the red eyes and gleaming fangs. "I-I don't know! Still buried, I guess!" she yelped.****

He released her and sniffed around, then sneezed. "Kisame-san, can you sense chakra? I'm no good at it."****

**"**You're gonna be a really shitty 'kage," Kisame pointed out, and paused to feel for the girl's chakra. He shook his head. "I can't feel her, but your other teammate - the creepy fuck - is somewhere below us, seems like."****

**"**Below us?" Naruto asked, lifting the edge of his cloak and grimacing at its tattered state.****

**"**Yeah, like right the fuck down." Kisame pointed at his feet.****

Naruto paused, as if something just occurred to him. "Eh, you can't feel Sakura-chan?" he asked, looking worried.****

**"**Doesn't mean she's dead," Kisame pointed out slowly. "I mean, it's _possible_-"****

**"**She's not dead, shut your fucking mouth!" Naruto growled, and stalked back to the hole. He abruptly jumped in, a cloud of dust and tossed rocks shortly following.****

Kisame sighed. "Idiot."****

xXx**  
**

**Okay, so I'm going to be updating all the **_**I Spy**_** chapters today. Or in the next few days... This one is 24 of 29 (which, including the valentine's special, means that there is 30 in total). I hope you all enjoy!**


	26. Rescue Sakura Pt 3

**I Spy****  
****Chapter 25  
Rescue Sakura  
Part 3****  
****The Capture of Uchiha Sasuke****  
**  
xXx

Evidently, an idiot's thought process was as follows; when all else fails, tackle the bitch like a five year old. And so, Itachi was slammed against the ground, his head slapping unpleasantly against rock. He grimaced, fighting down a wave of nausea as he instinctively twisted his body and rolled them. Unfortunately, Deidara did not have to worry about fighting the side effects of a concussion, and was thus not so easily dislodged. _Fortunately_, he seemed to have forgotten he could blow Itachi up.

Itachi wasn't about to remind him.

Deidara had latched onto his hands, as well, which prevented him from using jutsu. His only choice was to fight down the dizziness currently messing with his perception. Otherwise, escape and survival weren't possible. "Let me go," Itachi growled, jerking his wrist and managing to elbow Deidara in between the third and fourth ribs. This failed to dislodge him, not that Itachi was surprised.

Deidara bared his teeth at Itachi in something that was probably supposed to be an intimidating sneer. But it came out closer to a pained grimace. "No way! Leader-dono's promised a big reward to whichever of us manages to capture or kill you, un!"

Itachi felt a sharp pain on his wrist and jerked his arm, surprised. Deidara had just bit him! The blond managed to look sheepish. "Whoops."

The Uchiha decided consequences be damned, and head-butted Deidara in the face.

xXx

Sasuke looked up, and Yamato followed his gaze. The noises of digging, which had been going on for about half an hour, were getting very close. No doubt it was Naruto, eager to rescue his Sakura-chan.

Yamato let his hand slip casually out of Sasuke's sight, performing one-handed seals. Dust started to fall on them, and he ducked his head to keep it out of his face, leaning over Sakura to protect her with his body.

Light fell down, caressing Sakura's forearm, and Yamato activated the jutsu. Unfortunately, Sasuke was ready for such a move (_of course he was_, Yamato thought uncharitably), and managed escape easily.

He didn't get far before his blond teammate pounced, tackling him to the ground in a fashion almost identical to Itachi and Deidara's fight. Not that either blond in question were aware of this fact.

Yamato used the already activated wood jutsu to help dig them out. He was forced to reluctantly pass his burden to the waiting Kisame, who quirked a smirk at him. Clearly, the sadist enjoyed his misery.

The three of them quickly scrambled out of the hole, spotting Naruto and Sasuke grappling not far away. The Uchiha managed another escape, and dodged the swipe of Naruto's claws.

"_**Teeemeeee**_," the blond growled furiously.

The others cleared out of the way, as Naruto darted at Sasuke, their blades clashing with a clang of metal and a flutter of sparks.

xXx

It was actually the enraged scream of her favorite teammate that woke her, crying his insult for their estranged comrade. But she didn't really focus on much at first. She was warm, and maybe safe (but a bit uncomfortable, though that was likely because of the tightness of the grip on her). She could smell sweat, and musk, hear light panting, and feel the soft, steady thrum of almost untouched chakra.

Her fingers tightened in their grip on a wrist, larger than hers. His pulse fluttered beneath his skin, slightly fast, but unfaltering. Stable. Her eyes opened, focusing on gray eyes looking right back down at her. She blinked slowly, swallowed. "Kisame?" she croaked. Uhg. Dust lining her throat. _Just fucking perfect._

He smirked. "Hey, Pinkey."

Her brow furrowed, and she decided she did _not_ like that nickname. Hopefully, he wouldn't make a habit of it. "Put-" She choked, grimacing, and swallowed hard to clear the dust. "Put me down."

The shark-man didn't obey her. "Your leg," he pointed out instead.

Oh yeah. She sighed. "I need to sit," she said, making it up. Mostly, it just creeped her out being held this way by talking sushi.

He gave her a dubious look and hesitated just long enough to let her know he knew it was bullshit. Finally, he moved over to a rock that would make a nice seat, and set her down. She sighed in relief.

Yamato moved over, nearly startling her. She'd almost forgotten about him. "Sakura-chan, are you-" He paused, biting back 'okay', because she was obviously not, but was unable to come up with any word to replace it.

Luckily, she understood. "I think I'll be fine. Lung damage is already completely mended, aside from some dust. Don't suppose you have water?"

He reached back, fingers brushing his hip, and then looked when they found nothing. He sighed and shook his head. "No. I must have lost my canteen."

She sighed, but honestly it could be worse. Like- Her head snapped up as a nearby explosion shook the immediate area. Twenty yards away, no, thirty, Naruto had almost got Sasuke with Rasengan. How had she missed _that_? She must have been worse off than she thought.

She glanced back at Yamato, then towards Sasuke and Naruto again. One, two... "Who else is there?" she asked. Kisame _couldn't_ be an official member. Actually, he wouldn't even be here, unless- "Itachi?" she asked hopefully. But even as she asked, a farther off explosion confirmed her suspicion. "Who is he fighting?"

"One question at a time, Sakura-chan," Yamato suggested mildly, glancing toward Naruto and Sasuke to make sure they were still far enough away. "Probably Akatsuki. They followed us here."

"Deidara and Tobi," Kisame inserted neatly, frowning.

She made a face. "That psychopath and the little pervert boy?" she demanded, remembering their last encounter less than fondly.

Yamato nodded. "As for your first question, it was a five man team. Myself, Naruto, Kakashi-sempai, Itachi-taicho and Shino-san. Actually, that reminds me..." He stood. "Kisame-san, I hate to do this, but I'm going to ask you to guard her. I have to assist Kakashi-sempai and Shino-san."

Sakura frowned. "Why? What happened?" she asked, sensing something amiss. "Is someone hurt?"

"We were attacked before entering the cave," Kisame said, nodding in acquiescence to Yamato's request. The man bowed and took off toward the distant fights. The shark man continued. "Shino-san was injured by an explosive."

Sakura grimaced. "Is there a theme today?" she groused, then shook her head. "Is he alright?"

"I don't know how bad it is, but he seemed alive last I saw of him. Which, admittedly, was before we entered the compound..." Kisame trailed off, and sighed. Then he frowned and glanced around. "Where'd that redheaded bitch go...?"

"Kisame-san, forget the redhead," Sakura said. "Do you have any soldier pills?"

Kisame turned his attention back to her, brows lifting, but he opened his leg pouch and retrieved a pill bottle. "You sure you should be taking these?" he asked.

She grimaced. Soldier pills would boost chakra, but when they wore off, her body would crash. She'd have to take them once every hour and a half until they were out of danger. "I don't have much choice," she snapped, snatching the bottle, "now do I?" The strain on her chakra system was going to be a bitch to deal with later.

Normally, soldier pills would simply boost the production of chakra, but with her levels so low, they'd be taking the energy right from her in order to do it, rather than feeding on existing chakra. But what else could she do? She could _not_ just sit aside looking pretty and hope her chakra would be enough as it was to keep them all alive.

"Suit yourself," he muttered, as she swallowed one dry and handed them back. He replaced them in his pouch, and they settled in to wait for it to take effect. He'd never taken one with chakra levels as low as she had, and wondered if the wait time would be any slower or faster than the usual ten to twenty minutes.

Only time would tell, he supposed.

xXx  
**  
**Shino sat against a wall of rock, created by Kakashi as a sort of half-protection. His breathing was labored, less focused on than he should, in favor of the kikai working through his system. Some twenty feet away, the masked Akatsuki and the masked Konoha nin were fighting with taijutsu, each looking for an opening in the other's defense.

Shino watched as Kakashi took a kunai to the bicep, instead of dodging away to let the Akatsuki through at the bug nin. Guilt rose, before he shoved the useless emotion aside. Kakashi could handle himself. Shino had to focus on keeping alive. Surviving.

Then there was movement beside him, and he very nearly killed Yamato as the man skidded down the wall. He barely resisted. "Where is Sakura-san?" the bug nin demanded tersely before Yamato could even draw a breath to speak.

"With Kisame-san," Yamato replied, and ignored Shino's reproachful glower. "I had no choice. Taicho trusts him. That'll have to be good enough for now. Naruto isn't far from her."

"He's fighting Sasuke." Even through the pain filled haze, Shino could feel the surges of over-powered elemental chakra. His year mates were really tearing into each other.

Yamato grimaced. "I know. I have to take you away, so Kakashi-sempai can focus on his fight," he said, firmly redirecting the subject. "Sakura-chan is conscious-"

"She can_not_ waste her chakra on me," Shino interrupted stubbornly.

The plain-faced man glared at him. "We'll regroup by her, and discuss movements further once we have. When we get-"

Whatever he was saying, he cut it off abruptly, head jerking around to watch as a mushroom cloud rose, the earth-shattering explosion coming from Itachi's direction. Yamato cursed, the surge too much to be able to tell immediately if Itachi was still alive.

"Sempai!" the masked Akatsuki gasped, and flickered back from Kakashi. He groaned. "No, no, sempai! Leader-dono will be so upset!" He cut himself off as Kakashi darted forward, chidori crackling around his fist. The enemy male clucked his tongue before he abruptly fell backwards... and sunk right through the ground.

The chidori left a crater where he'd been, and Kakashi dropped to his knees, panting. Yamato frowned. "Sempai?" he called, half-rising in concern. "Kakashi-sempai."

Kakashi shook sweat from his eyes and stumbled to his feet. "Check on Itachi," he grunted, making his way to Shino. "Sakura?"

"With Kisame," Shino answered as Yamato took off without question. He let Kakashi help him up, and they supported each other. "Near Naruto and Sasuke."

"Aa." Kakashi nodded and moved in that direction.  
**  
**xXx

Yamato half-slid down several rocks, moving downward into a sizable collection of craters, searching for any sign of his captain. Nothing. No sign. No debris. No odd body parts, except ones that were obviously _not_ Itachi's.

He'd almost given up hope when a hand reached up from the ground mere inches from his feet, like the dead rising. He watched incredulously as Itachi dragged himself up from the soil and collapsed on his back, panting for breath. "That... _fucking_... idiot," he managed after a beat, chest heaving. Despite obvious exhaustion, red, whirling eyes focused right on Yamato's face.

The older man couldn't help a hoarse laugh, and he knelt to help Itachi up. "Sakura-chan is fine, by the way," he told him gently.

Itachi almost slumped against him in relief, but quickly collected himself. "Good." He pulled away, shook his head slowly, and nearly fell over again.

Yamato sighed. "You are way too much trouble."

"... shut up."

xXx

Sakura watched worriedly as Naruto and Sasuke went at it. She was less concerned about what would happen to Sasuke, and more concerned about Naruto losing his cool and letting Kyuubi take over. Surprisingly, it hadn't happened yet, but Naruto was getting angry.

Sighing, she turned back to Shino, who was propped up against her rock. He hadn't let her touch him, steadfastly _refusing_ to allow her to '_waste her chakra on him_'. She was tempted to knock him out and take the heat from him later.

"Shino, _please_. My injuries, while pretty bad, aren't going to kill me. You _can't_ keep it up forever. You're almost out of chakra and we both know it," she pleaded, though she knew it'd do no good.

He shook his head, pale-faced. Even his sunglasses and collar couldn't fully hide how much pain he was in. She grit her teeth and bit back the instant threat. Threats wouldn't work here. "Think about the kikai, then. If you run out of chakra, you will be responsible for their deaths. I know how much the kikai mean to your family."

Another head shake. The bugs had short lives anyway, but he didn't say as much. She growled. "Goddammit, Aburame Shino, if you don't let me heal you, I _will_ have the Hokage put you on bed rest for a _month_!"

He twitched, gaze darting toward her, and she smirked smugly. "I can do it too. Or did you forget whose apprentice I am?"

He didn't say anything for a long moment, but finally, he swallowed and nodded tersely. Her demeanor immediately softened, and she nodded for Kakashi to help her sit beside him. Her fingers hovered above Shino's wound, once she was seated, and glowed green. Emerald eyes drifted closed, and she went still.

While she worked, Yamato approached, helping Itachi walk. And as soon as he saw her, something in the Uchiha untensed. He pulled away from Yamato, sitting on Sakura's vacated rock to watch the proceedings. His gaze moved toward the escalating fight, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"We have to end this fight... and capture Sasuke," he said grimly. "Yamato?"

"I can do it." Yamato straightened and smiled grimly. "I don't know how much Naruto will hinder us, though. He's pretty gone."

Kisame rolled his shoulders. "Well, if we have to, we'll divert his attention, right? I can do that. The kid's no sweat."

Itachi nodded, surveying the fight for a moment. "Naruto seems to have worn Sasuke down quite a bit. We do _not_ have time to bother being fair about this. We have to capture him, incapacitate him, and return to Konoha as quickly as possible."

Yamato hummed. "Actually, perhaps I should deal with Naruto, and Kisame-san take Sasuke?" he inserted. "Just in case I need to seal him."

Kisame's brows lifted, but he shrugged. "Whatever works with you. I've been itching to pummel that brat's face in anyway."

Yamato cut him a look. "I wonder why," he remarked vaguely, and got an irritable glare for his trouble.

Kakashi cleared his throat and straightened, drawing attention away from his kohai's blatant distrust of the mist nin (not that he wasn't in complete agreement, of course). "I can provide backup for Kisame-san," he said.

The Uchiha captain glanced at him. "Are you certain?" he asked, taking in Kakashi's bedraggled appearance.

The Copy-Nin shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "He'll need backup," he replied stubbornly.

The two stared at each other for a beat, before Itachi relented. "Alright. Don't die. I'll remain here and provide security for Sakura and Shino-san." _Just in case they come back_, while audible, wasn't said aloud. "Move out." He moved into a defensive position to cover Shino and Sakura, the bug nin automatically watching his captain's back.

xXx****

Naruto moved like lightning, flashing forward at his once-best-friend, Rasengan whirling. Sasuke streaked toward him as well, chidori crackling in his palm. They were about ten feet away when Naruto's eyes widened and his Rasengan petered out, face filling with horror.****

**"**SASUKE-KUUUNN!"****

A scream, a flash of red, (like pink, like pink and red so long ago, and a fearful cry for them to stop, stop _stop it_!) a shriek of pain. The rattle of wood and a surge of water, (a punctured water tower, devastating destruction when it was stopped- but it's not stopped now, is it?) the sizzle of chidori fading under a torrent. Sasuke was tackled from behind, but he just stared in surprise at the woman stained in red before him. Her eyes were wide with disconnected shock. He couldn't stop staring at her.****

**"**Sa...suke..." she whispered, and fell forward, into a splatter of mud and blood. Sasuke was dragged upward, arms wrenched behind him, the distant roar of his best friend beating at his prison fading into the background.****

He didn't understand it. Why'd she do that? She was dead now. That much was clear. But why'd she do that? Why?****

**"**Karin?" he whispered, blinking at her. "Why..." A pinch. He didn't understand it. Why'd she do that?****

Blackness.****

Why did Karin jump in the way?****

xXx

Itachi stood over the woman, dead and staring sightlessly into murky brown. He frowned faintly, even as Kisame finished tying up his brother a few feet away. It had happened too fast. They couldn't have stopped her, and the look on Sasuke's face... had he _cared_ about this girl?

How bitter, that the girl Sasuke cared for had died by his hand. Sighing, Itachi knelt and rolled her over, closing her eyes. He straightened. They didn't have the time to take the body with them...

"Itachi?" a familiar voice called, and he abruptly about-faced, gaze falling on Sakura. He nodded, silently telling her he was fine, and she offered him a smile. "Come here. Let me see to that head of yours." It wasn't actually a request.

He cast a glance at Kisame, then sighed and approached the mednin. She gestured him to sit on the rock, then set to work on his concussion. A few moments passed, the pain and slight dizziness faded, and she pulled back. Smiled. "Thanks for coming for me."

"You're welcome," Itachi replied, then slowly admitted, "though it was Naruto that spurred us into action."

She laughed softly. "That is so like him," she said fondly, and reached up. Her fingers slid around the nape of his neck and tugged him down, giving him a brief kiss on the lips. They pulled apart, even as Kakashi catcalled. She scowled and turned, glowering at her former sensei. "You! Shut up!" she yelled, redfaced.

Itachi quickly swallowed his grin before anyone noticed.

xXx

About half an hour later, dusk had started to fall, a light mist swirling about their ankles, and they were ready to leave. But Sakura stopped, fingers tightening on Itachi's arm, and looked back. "Wait," she said, voice heavy with reluctance. "We can't just leave her like that."

Itachi didn't need clarification to know she meant Karin. "We don't have the time to bury her, Sakura," he pointed out, frowning faintly.

"Then we'll _make_ the time," she retorted. "We can_not_ leave her like that!"

She pulled away from him, and his arm felt suddenly cold with the loss. He almost reached after her, but stopped himself. "Sakura," he sighed. "We need to go."

"I can do it," she said, drawing a deep breath. She approached the other girl's body and stopped.

"You shouldn't waste the chakra, Sakura-san," Shino called to her, frowning.

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, and when the bug nin looked at him, he just shook his head. There was no arguing with that woman. Best to just let her do it.

Satisfied that no one would try to stop her, Sakura gathered the other girl into her arms, not really needing chakra for this part. She walked the twenty or so feet between where Karin had lay and the hole in the ground Naruto had dug to get them out. She put Karin in as gently as she could, and climbed back out once more.

There, she paused, staring down into the hole, but in the gathering darkness, she could barely make out the vague silhouette of her enemy's body. She stepped away, pulled her fist back, and lay a punch to the ground, caving the hole in once again.

"Let's go," Itachi said from behind her, and she turned to find him only a few feet away. He acknowledged her smile with a small quirk of his lips, and they set off for home. Finally.

xXx**  
**

**And that's another arc over with! Next comes the wrap-up.**


	27. Strawberry Cheesecake

**I Spy****  
****Chapter 26****  
****Strawberry Cheesecake**

**A/N: This is dedicated to backwards. 4u. only, whom was quite lucky enough to be my 150****th**** reviewer. Thank you so much for reviewing, dear!****  
**  
xXx

_One week later..._

"Sak, sweety, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale," Ino said helpfully. When Sakura refused to comply, the blonde clasped her best friend by the shoulders and gave her a little shake.

Sakura shot her a baleful glare, but obediently drew in a deep breath. "Ino, 'date' implies two people. Two people does not mean 'plus one'. Get. Lost."

"And leave you to drown in a desert? What sort of friend would I be if I did that!" Ino asked, aghast.

"The good kind," Sakura hissed.

The other kunoichi snorted and shoved Sakura forward once more, forcing her to continue the walk to the doors of the quiet, _expensive_ restaurant. Sakura suddenly stopped, digging her heels into the asphalt sidewalk so Ino couldn't push her further. The pinkette flailed briefly, starting to hyperventilate. "No, no, no, I can't _do_ this, oh my god, let me _go_!" she whined.

"Fore. Head," Ino growled. "You are _going_ on this date if it _kills_you!"

"It might!" Sakura squeaked, spinning to face Ino and oblivious of the flourish her skirt made as she did so. "Let's face it, Ino, I can't walk through that door. I do that, and- and- and someone is going to attack Konoha! Or- or- he'll have a heart attack over the entres! Or I'll slip and break my neck! Or! Sasuke will pop up like a fricking daisy out of the blue with hostages, and demand I wash his boots or he'll strangle poor Hinata-chan!"

Ino opened her mouth, but Sakura wasn't quite done with her panic attack. "Or! Or- or, Kisame will show up promising chocolate and roses if only I let him lick my ankles! Because that's what he does!"

"Sakur-"

"Ino, my relationship with Itachi is _cursed_, and if I walk through those doors, something awful is going to happen, and my heart _will_give out when it does! I can't do it! You have to go in and tell him that I had to work, or- or something! Please, please, pleaaassee!"

"Sak-"

"I won't take no for an answer, I can_not_deal with this blowing up in my-"

Ino grabbed Sakura by the shoulders and turned her bodily. Itachi, leaning against the door, quirked a brow in amusement.

"-face," Sakura finished faintly.

Ino pinched her, shocking her into breathing again. The blonde patted Sakura's white-clad shoulder. "She's all your's, big boy. Return her in one piece, eh?" She batted her eyelashes at him smartly, and quickly escaped.

The pink-haired kunoichi gulped. "We- we- we can't-"

"Sakura," he intoned calmly. "Nothing is going to happen. Take my hand." He held it out pointedly, gaze briefly flicking over her.

She was dressed in silver heels, laced up the ankles, and a white sun dress, complete with the necklace he'd given her and a pair of silver studs in her ears. He met her eyes again, approving.

Sakura still hadn't taken his hand, though. He sighed and reached out, lifting her hand to his lips as he bowed over it. He brushed them over her knuckles and straightened again, holding his elbow out. She swallowed.

"You look beautiful," he offered hopefully.

She blinked slowly at him, and reluctantly took the offered elbow, slipping her arm through his. "Thank you," she managed. A pause, then, "really? Nothing at all?"

Itachi's smile was tiny, but it was hers and hers alone. "Nothing at all," he promised.

The mednin forced a tiny gulp down. "And you're sure that the world isn't... you know, just... having a delayed reaction?"

He couldn't help but snort at that. "You're being silly, Sakura," he pointed out, carefully inching her toward the door.

She frowned at him. "I am not! What happened _last_time, Itachi? I got kidnapped! And before that? You did!" She paused. "Oh gods, Sasuke just might actually show up with hostages!" It was certainly looking more likely by the moment.

Itachi shot her a reproachful look at that, nudging the door open. He watched her face, idly rebuking that with some claim of Sasuke being unconscious, to which she replied that the gods would wake him and hand him a spiked club for the occasion. The door swung shut behind them, and he lead her to the table, still distracting her with inane conversation about her new paranoia.

Then they were seated. "See? Just fine."

She fell tensely silent for a moment, holding her breath. Nothing happened. Slowly, she exhaled.

xXx

Outside, an excited Naruto almost made it to the door. Almost. Two more feet, and he would have reached the safety of the restaurant. However, two feet away, he was completely buried underneath no less than five people.

He tried to cry out, but someone stuffed a dirty sock in his mouth. He tried to crawl out, but a pair of feminine arms put him in a headlock. A beam of wood wrapped around his legs. A shadow latched onto him.

And Uzumaki Naruto was dragged, gagged and terrified, away.

xXx

"Did you hear something?" Sakura asked, glancing nervously in the direction of the door.

Itachi dropped his fork, distracting her. "Nope." He grabbed it.

She narrowed her eyes at him. Since when did Itachi use words like 'nope'? "What are you plotting?"

"The perfect evening," he replied bluntly. "Stop worrying. I've got it covered."

She pouted at him. "Itachi, why are you plotting the perfect evening? And being so suspiciously Uchiha?" she asked, a single finger tapping the table irritably.

The Uchiha in question sighed, and drew a deep breath. "Because, Sakura. You have been kidnapped, broken, left out in the cold, abandoned, neglected and ignored. We have failed to have a proper date, despite the fact that we live in the same house. I have failed you repeatedly, allowed you to cry over my death when I lived. The absolute_ least _thing I can do is spoil you for an evening," he paused thoughtfully, and sheepishly added, "and possibly post off-duty guards around the restaurant to make sure nothing goes awry."

Sakura stared at him, tapping forgotten, mouth hung open. He almost started to fidget, until... she closed her mouth slowly, and promptly burst out laughing. He slumped in relief. She laughed so hard that tears brimmed in her eyes, and shakily got up. "I'll be right back," she chortled. "Bathroom. Ahahah..."

She left, snickering.

Itachi glanced out the window, and Gai gave him a thumbs up.

xXx

Sakura was still laughing to herself when Ino finally appeared, slipping into the bathroom. The pink-haired kunoichi gave her one look and started laughing all over again. Ino scowled. "Oh har har, yeah, totally funny, laugh it up- don't _make_me stab you in the eye with a spork!"

Sakura snickered and shook her head, grinning. "Guard duty? Really, Ino?" she laughed. "Oh that's great- man, if you _ever_get a boyfriend, I am so telling him what sort of person you really are!" She cackled.

Ino carefully didn't turn bright red. Best not tell Sakura, then.

It took another five minutes, but Sakura eventually managed to calm down, and grinned at Ino in the reflection of the mirror. "This is the best date ever. Hot guy? Check! Good food? Check! Blackmail material on my best friend? Cheeeckk!"

"I know where you sleep, just remember that," Ino hissed.

Sakura just winked at her. _Winked!_ The _nerve_of some people! "I'll have strawberry cheesecake for dessert."

"I hate you," Ino seethed, and stalked right back out of the bathroom.

xXx

Itachi quirked a brow when Sakura slid back into her seat. She looked to be in considerably higher spirits than she'd entered the restaurant with. He didn't ask. Instead, he nudged the menu toward her.

She opened it, and promptly snorted in a very unladylike manner. He gave her a bemused look, and she turned the menu to face him. She tapped the deserts. "That's what I'm having."

"Strawberry cheesecake? For dessert, I hope," he said, somewhat baffled by her odd behavior. It wasn't really _that_funny... was it?

She grinned. "Yeah, dessert. Of course. So! What are you getting for the main course?" she asked innocently.

Itachi bit back a sigh, deciding he didn't want to know, and showed her what he'd been thinking about.

As the date went on, Sakura relaxed quite a bit. She was relieved that nothing happened (and she was pretty sure she recognized their waiter as an ANBU, but Itachi denied this and so she had no proof). She eventually gave up trying to prove it and went back to enjoying herself. She even managed to get Itachi to talk much more than usual. She more or less forced him to tell her about his family, and realized that he had absolutely adored his mother. It made her a little sad to think that now she was dead, but she resolved not to let on to it.

Sakura then told him about her mother and father (who were expecting a second child, finally). She told him about growing up in Konoha, and how the first time she'd met Naruto, she'd beat his face into the playground swing set (this was, of course, after her fight with Ino over Sasuke). She told him how Naruto had popped up on her doorstep two days later, declaring his everlasting love for Sakura, and he hadn't given it _up_until she started dating Itachi.

"You didn't date anyone else?" he asked suspiciously (this had to be an untruth, because frankly, Sakura was too beautiful to have never dated before).

"Of course I did! I think I went out on a date with Kiba once... but Ino showed up halfway through, complaining about me getting in on her territory. And then there was a date with Lee- oh don't give me that look, it was so he would stop pestering me. Luckily, it worked, and we decided to just be friends... Or, actually, maybe that was just me..."

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose.

Conversation slowed during dessert, and afterward, they chatted for a while longer before Sakura stifled a yawn and Itachi called for the bill. He paid it ("Holy, crap five hundred _ryo_?" Sakura yelped, appalled), and they left. Sakura was _positive_she'd seen something squirming in the bushes.

As they approached home, her heart kicked into over gear, though Itachi thankfully didn't notice. She remembered Kiba's rather insistent kiss on her doorstep. And then Lee's clumsy attempt at the same. She remembered every book she'd ever read on the subject. How would it work, with them living together?

And then they had stopped, standing there on the doorstep. Itachi was searching her face thoughtfully. She stared back with wide eyes, scrambling for something - anything - to say to put this off.

"Sakura?" he asked, brows furrowing. "Are you-"

"I'm in love with you!" she blurted. He blinked at her, and then his gaze softened. Crap. Crap, crap, _crap_, why the hell had she said that? Quickly, she continued before he could speak. "Actually, what- what I meant was that I like... I mean, I do... I just..."

"Sakura."

"No, no, let me... finish talking," she snapped, glaring until he sighed and nodded for her to go on. "I really, really, really like you... and maybe... maybe that's love. I just... I don't know! I mean, what if it's just infatuation?"

He quirked a smile. "It isn't."

"But how would you _know_?" she demanded, poking his chest.

"Because it's mutual," he replied calmly, taking her other hand in his and interlacing their fingers.

She stopped and blinked at him. "Oh." And for some reason, she was no longer as nervous about the thought of him kissing her (yes, they'd kissed before but this was the _date_kiss; it made things official!). That, what he'd said, had apparently been just what she wanted - and needed - to hear.

She smiled at him, and he quirked that little smile of his right back. "Right." Her smile slipped into a shy grin, and she gently squeezed his hands in hers. "Then kiss me. Right here."

Itachi did not need to be told twice.

xXx

_The next morning, sunrise, five am..._

One Hyuuga Hinata was a bit of an early riser. Not nearly as early a riser as, say, her roommate and cousin Neji, who woke around three thirty in the morning for training. Masochist.

At any rate, rising with the sun was so much easier here on her own, without dozens of family members, servants and Hyuuga compound staff underfoot while she wandered to the kitchen for breakfast. She put together a fruit salad - enough for two, Neji would be coming back soon - and wandered toward the porch to eat it there.

She pulled open the door, and dropped her bowl, screaming. She automatically - instinctively and habitually - jyuuken'd the obstacle out of her doorway. Uzumaki Naruto - bound, gagged and hanging upside down there, with a note on his face declaring '_enjoy! xxx_' - went flying.

Hinata pulled out of her defensive crouch, gasping as the dots connected, and quickly hurried out to the groaning blond. She pulled the sock out of his mouth (on it were the initials 'NS', whatever that meant) and tossed it aside, then quickly worked to untie him. The paper was crumbled and tossed as well, and finally, she helped her blond- well, Naruto sit up. "A-are you alright?" she asked worriedly. "I'm s-so sorry! I p-panicked!"

He blinked dizzily and nodded slowly. "Yeah... I'm okay, Hinata-chan... do you have a toothbrush...?" And he fell over in a dead faint.

"Oh no!"

xXx

"Are you waiting for your sexual partner?"

Shikamaru blinked and turned toward the two nin that were serving gate duty today. He fixed Sai with a blank stare, unsure if he should even dignify that with a response. Sai did not appear to notice the rudeness of his question, and was smiling at Shikamaru in his usual manner. Beside him, Genma was trying not to smirk too much.

The Nara heaved a sigh. "Troublesome," he grumbled, and gave Sai a flat look. "We're not having sex. She's engaged to someone else. Stop bothering to try and-"

"Oh, you must have been very upset, then."

Shikamaru stopped and promptly ignored the pale-painted man. What the hell kept making people think that he and Temari were dating? They were friends. Friends! And stupid Sai wasn't even bothered by the 'she's engaged' excuse (of course, she actually wasn't).

"If you're not interested in her," Sai continued, apparently changing tactics, "Are you interested in men?" Shikamaru choked on his tongue, as Sai went on. "Perhaps you like Itachi-san!"

Genma stopped trying to cover his grin. Luckily, before anything else could be said on the matter, Temari flickered into view, landing before the gate. She smiled and waved. "Hi guys. You okay, Shikamaru? You look like you just swallowed a bug." She reached into her satchel and retrieved her papers, handing them over to Genma, whom was closest to her.

"We were just discussing the possibility that he's-"

Shikamaru's Kagemane completely stopped whatever Sai had been saying, and promptly knocked him over. The shadow nin cut the jutsu off before Temari realized what had happened. She blinked at Sai. "You okay?"

"He's fine," Genma said, with far too cheerful a smile, and handed her papers back.

She gave him a wary look. "Right. Um, Shikamaru, let's go. I need to get a shower. I smell like Kankuro."

Shikamaru smirked. "Alright. We'll stop at the hotel before your meeting with Ibiki-san and Asuma-sensei."

"Oh, are they in charge of the Chunin exams this year?" she asked as they left the gates.

The shadow nin nodded. "Yes, and the examiners are Kakashi-san, Kurenai-san and Shizune-san. Er, not in that order."

She chuckled. "I remember our exams. Oh gods, Ibiki-san terrified me, and Anko was just nuts."

"And Genma looked like he wanted to fall asleep," Shikamaru agreed with a smirk. He opened his mouth to say more, but a sudden, loud voice over them interrupted him.

Standing atop the Hokage tower was one Uzumaki Naruto, hands cupped around his mouth, and face jubilant. "HINATA IS MY GIRLFRIEND!" he yelled happily. He quickly ran off again, Neji in hot pursuit.

The duo were quiet for a moment, before Temari snorted. "Never a dull moment in Konoha."

Shikamaru was inclined to agree.

xXx

Over the next couple of weeks, foreign delegates arrived to speak with Ibiki and Asuma, who were in charge of arranging and judging this year's Chunin exams. Much concern was expressed about the capture of Uchiha Sasuke, as well as the still standing unease with Uchiha Itachi's presence in Konoha.

It was announced at large that Uzumaki Naruto had begun training as Tsunade's soon-to-be replacement, and as such, he was present for every meeting between Tsunade and foreign officials. Between the two of them - and Shizune - the unease with Itachi's presence was slowly soothed with promises that he would not be present at any of the tests.

Tsunade promised that Uchiha Sasuke was under exceptionally heavy guard, chakra suppressors and intravenous treatment for chakra suppression beyond the external care. He was nowhere near the sites for any of the tests, with no access to the outside world. Soon enough, concern due to _his_presence had abated significantly as well.

And finally, after a month and a half of work, the Chunin exams were one week away. Naruto and Tsunade were celebrating her way; with sake.

"I cannot wait until this crap is over with," Tsunade complained.

Naruto sipped at his own sake half heartedly, nodding. "Yeah. Hey, baasan..."

Tsunade looked up, scowling, but bit back her immediate 'don't call me that' at his expression. She sighed and sat back. "You wanna ask about Sasuke." It wasn't a question, but he still nodded. "Ask."

He looked out the window, idly rolling his small sake jug between his hands. "How long is his sentence?"

"He's there for life, Naruto. Without parole." She'd known this would come up, eventually, but she had hoped she would have more time before it did.

"But baasan," he protested, looking at her finally, with that kicked puppy look that always made her heart twinge. "Without parole? Surely Sasuke deserves a second chance-"

"No, he has already made it abundantly clear that he will never forget his grudge against Konoha. His release would mean our death, Naruto," she said firmly.

"But he might change," the blond insisted. "Someday, he might change. People change!"

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Naruto, I have worked for years to make sure that this city, its people, and its defenders stay as safe and happy as possible. Uchiha Sasuke has spent most of his life holding grudges. It's all he knows, all he's willing to hold onto. Even if, by some miracle, that were to change, how would the people react if I were to agree to a parole period? It would endanger this city. If not by Sasuke's hand, then by his influence. I would have full scale riots-"

"Not if it's after the year," Naruto interrupted bluntly.

"Naruto-"

"If it's after I'm Hokage, then why worry about it? I can handle teme-"

"Like you handled him all these years?" Tsunade bit out, cutting the other blond off. He flinched and looked away, and she continued on. "I know how you feel about him. I know you care. But Naruto, I'm about to be very, bluntly honest with you. Uchiha Sasuke is your fucking Achilles Heel. You get soft. You act differently. You change when he's involved. And you can_not_afford to show him mercy."

The blond slumped, a part of him realizing she was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He sighed and changed the subject. "Lunch is almost over. Shizune'll be here soon."

Tsunade winced. "Better pretend to be busy, then."

"I'll hide the sake."

Tsunade watched him go toward her little hidey hole (her last defense against Shizune), brow furrowed with worry. She really hoped that Naruto would heed her warnings. For now, she would just have to watch and make sure he didn't think about it. "Hurry up, gaki! Paperwork!"

"Yeah, yeah, lazy grandma," he retorted.

xXx

"Ten minutes," the ANBU guard said, and shut the door behind his fellow.

Itachi waited until the man had locked the door before walking over to a stool and sitting. He was twenty feet away from one set of bars. They were familiar, but he was on the other side of them this time. He did not relish the memory. "Good afternoon, Sasuke," he greeted softly, knowing his brother was awake and would hear him.

There was no response for a moment, before his brother moved to sit up on his bunk. He gave his brother a blank-faced stare. "Itachi."

Itachi swept a glance over his brother's form, and his brow furrowed. He'd have to put in a request for fresh clothes, because the other male obviously hadn't changed in a while. Though Itachi couldn't be sure if that was neglect or simple obstinance. Either way, he would have to take care of it.

"Have you been eating?" he asked after a moment. Sasuke had gotten into fits where he had to be strapped down and fed intravenously, or he wouldn't get anything in him at all.

Sasuke sneered at him. "Yes, unfortunately. The food is crap."

Itachi shrugged. "It's better than dying."

The younger Uchiha's lips curled into an unpleasant smirk. "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" he asked nastily. But at least he was talking this time. There were weeks when Itachi wouldn't get so much as a hello out of his sibling.

Itachi didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he changed the subject. "I suppose you've heard of Naruto by now."

His brother's interest was piqued, and he almost managed to hide it. "No, of course not. No one visits, except you and the guards." He shrugged. "And they don't say shit to me, besides 'move away from the bars'."

Itachi was surprised. Naruto hadn't been by to visit? But then- ah, perhaps Tsunade had cautioned him against it for the time being. They didn't need rumors flying about, with the Chunin exams coming up. "He's been named as Tsunade's heir."

"Good for him," Sasuke shot back, scowling finally.

Oddly enough, it was a bit of a comfort to see actual emotion on the younger male's face, more than Itachi would care to admit. "He's doing well at the training." No reaction, so Itachi shifted topics again. "Sakura says hello."

Sasuke glared at him. "Yes, I bet she does. You two are awfully cozy. When's the wedding?"

The elder brother's brows lifted, telegraphing how unimpressed he was with Sasuke's goading. "I haven't asked yet."

Sitting back, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He didn't miss the 'yet'. "So you plan on it?"

There was a brief pause as his sibling hesitated, but he finally nodded. "Yes. But not now. She's not ready."

"No, she isn't," Sasuke agreed reluctantly. Silence fell for a couple of minutes, as the two eyed each other, searching for weakness and finding none. "How's Kakashi."

"Busy preparing for the Chunin exams," Itachi replied. "He's an examiner this year."

"I wonder if anyone will pass," Sasuke drawled, well aware of his former teacher's reputation.

The corner of Itachi's lips quirked, and he nodded. "Yes. He's quite excited. Seems to eagerly be booby-trapping every inch of the Forbidden Forest."

"Booby traps? That man's a sadist," Sasuke snorted.

Before Itachi could respond, there was a tap on the door, letting him know his time was up. He sighed and stood. "It was nice talking," he said automatically, getting only a sneer for his trouble. "Until next week."

He didn't get an answer, and the door shut heavily behind him.

xXx**  
**

**I'm so mean. It took them so bloody long to get that date! And there's Sasuke, back home... settling in... Who knows how long THAT will last.**

**Please review!**


	28. The Chunin Exams

**I Spy****  
****Chapter 27****  
****The Chunin Exams****  
****A/N: This chapter will be mostly centered around Naruto, if not in his point of view. Enjoy.******

xXx

Five feet. Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Kaze no Kuni, reformed jinchurriki and sometimes-nice-guy-but-usually-not, got five feet past the gates of Konoha before he heard a tell-tale yell.

"GAARA!"

Suppressing his mixture of amusement and exasperation, Gaara halted and waited for his friend to arrive, which didn't take long. Soon enough, Naruto skidded to a stop before him and grinned, waving excitedly. "Gaara! Welcome back! You're here for the Chunin exams, right?"

"Why else would we be here, gaki?" Kankuro asked, smirking at him.

"Aw, shut up," Naruto shot back good-naturedly.

"You wanna make me?" Kankuro asked challengingly.

Naruto grinned eagerly. "Any time, any place!"

"You're on!" Kankuro yelled, pumping his fist, then quickly reigned in his excitement. "Er, but not until after the Exams... Bad form and all that."

Naruto laughed sheepishly, scratching his nose. "Yeah, good point. Tsunade-baabaa would have my neck if I went picking fights with visiting delegates."

"Na-ru-tooo!" a voice yelled.

The blond blinked and turned to watch the three escorts approaching, and grinned. "Hey Shikamaru, Ino-chan. Er... Anko-san."

The latter winked at the blond, then bowed to Kankuro. "I'll be your escort, Kankuro-san!" she chirped, perhaps a bit too happily.

Kankuro blinked, as Ino bowed to the Kazekage and introduced herself as his escort. "Hey, Gaara... trade ya?" he said under his breath.

Gaara shot him a glare. "You're being rude, Kankuro," he pointed out, though Anko hardly seemed insulted. Under his breath, the redhead added, "and no. way."

"Punce," Kankuro hissed.

"Bastard."

"Knock it off, you two," Temari muttered, and beamed at the welcoming party. "Thank you so much for the welcome!"

Ino smiled back at them, and bowed again. "Please, allow me to have a word with Naruto-sama for a moment, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara blinked, but nodded. "Go ahead," he said, bemused. He watched the odd blonde grab his friend and drag him off like a misbehaving kit. Strange.

Ino pulled Naruto out of earshot. "Sakura's looking for you, and she's pissed, Naruto! You're not supposed to be here!" she reprimanded, voice a low hiss. "You're _supposed_ to be preparing for the exam tomorrow!"

Naruto pouted. "I wanted to say hello," he protested. "And don't call me 'sama'."

She poked his chest. "I'll call you 'sama' when it's necessary, Naruto, and you have to get used to it! You're going to be Hokage. Shape it up!"

He frowned at her. "Yeah, I'm going to be Hokage. But that doesn't mean I can't have friends!" he insisted.

She huffed. "No, it doesn't, but it does mean you need to be more careful when people can see you! It's fine that you want to visit him, but arrange to do so in private, alright? Think about his position too, even if you don't seem to give a crap about yours. And go see Sakura. _Before_ she loses her temper!"

He glowered at her. "I'm saying bye," he replied mulishly.

"Hurry. Up." She knew better than to try and make him leave without that.

He eyed her suspiciously, but then turned and trotted back over to the others, smiling brightly. "Eh, anyway, it was nice seeing you, Gaara! I have to go, er, you know, prepare and stuff now, though. So I'll see you later, right?"

Gaara nodded, giving his friend a faint smile. "Yes. You can join me for dinner after the test tomorrow."

"Great idea!" Naruto beamed, waved and jogged off.

Ino smiled at the party. "Shall we escort you to your hotel?" she asked sweetly.

"Good idea," Temari said, with equal sugar.

Kankuro exchanged a look with Shikamaru, and both repressed shudders. Women plus politics equaled scary.

xXx

Naruto met his new team - much younger than him, but they worked alright together, and had for the past month or so - the morning of the test, outside the building that the test would take place in. He smiled at them and waved as he approached.

The girl, a fourteen year old cousin of Shino's, perked and waved back. "Naruto-sama! You're here!" she chirped happily.

He hadn't been able to get her to stop calling him that, though. Unfortunately. "Hey, Kairi-chan," he greeted, and glanced toward the quieter boy. "Good morning, Taji-kun."

Taji nodded at him, one hand buried in the fur of the dog seated in his lap. He was an Inuzuka, a distant cousin of Kiba's. "Good morning, Naruto-kun," he greeted.

"You guys ready for today?" the blond asked eagerly, stretching his hands above him.

Kairi beamed and nodded. "Yes!"

Naruto always wondered how she managed to have any control of her kikai, what with how energetic she was. Shino had once explained to him that the Aburame clan had to regulate their reactions - emotionally - to keep their kikai under control and calm. Otherwise, the critters would be all over the place. He shrugged the thought off and smiled back at her. "Good. You guys ate breakfast and had a good night's sleep, then?"

Kairi laughed nervously, getting a glare from Taji. "Er, I didn't sleep at all, actually... I was so nervous! I couldn't help it! Stop looking at me like that, Taji!" she yelled, a few kikai starting to buzz about her.

Naruto patted her shoulder. "Kairi, calm yourself, kay? I'd rather not be randomly attacked by anxious kikai."

She had the grace to blush. "Sorry. I'm just very nervous."

"Deep breaths," Naruto advised. "We should think about getting inside soon. Test and all."

She nodded, Taji got up, and they hurried inside.

xXx

"I'm gonna kick your butt, Uzumaki!"

Naruto blinked, leaning away from the finger pointing at his nose, and looked at the Hyuuga yelling at him. "Ah... Hanabi-san? Er... I'm glad you're so energetic," he said, at a bit of a loss.

She narrowed pearly eyes at him. "I mean it, Uzumaki. I'm going to kick your butt, and then you'll have to stop dating Hinata-neesan!"

The blond's eyes narrowed back. "So it's a challenge, is it?"

"Yeah!" She nodded.

"Okay, you're on, even if you are a girl," he goaded.

Predictably, she bristled. "What! Are you saying a girl can't beat you?" she demanded furiously.

"Well, _you_ can't," he replied, grinning.

"I'll show you, you egotistical, airheaded, asinine little-"

"Hanabi-chan!" her teammate gasped, giving her a scandalized look. "He's the Hokage's heir!"

Hanabi growled and stomped off to sit on the other side of the room and glare at him from there. He chuckled and turned back to his teammates, to find Kairi pouting up at him. He smiled. "I didn't mean it, Kairi-chan. I was just trying to make her mad," he explained.

She seemed to accept that and visibly brightened. "I wonder who is giving us the tests?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Tsuna- er, the Hokage hasn't told me. She said it was a surprise." He frowned thoughtfully. "I'm sure that should scare me a bit, to be honest..."

She giggled. "You're so funny, Naruto-sama."

He decided not to tell her it wasn't a joke.

As if on cue, the door to the testing room opened, and a familiar man smiled at them. "Please enter, and take your seats. They are labeled with your names! I have also read that telling you good luck is polite, so- good luck!" Sai chirped.

Naruto paled. Sai wasn't giving them the test, was he? The blond prayed to whatever god would listen that he wasn't. Thankfully, 'whatever god' was listening, and when they had all taken their seats, Naruto watched Shizune walk up to the blackboard and write her name. Then she turned to smile at the group, and began.

"I am Shizune, and I will be your proctor for the written exams. There are only three rules that you need to remember, so please listen close. One, tests will not be accepted without your names on them, so please remember to include them. Two, any cheaters caught will be escorted from the room, along with their teammates. They will automatically forfeit the tests and will be unable to continue."

She glanced over the room to be sure they were paying attention. "I am not without mercy, though, so we will do this with a point system. You will have two points deducted for every time you are caught cheating. The tests are ten questions long, each question worth one point. This means that if you are caught cheating five times, you will lose all your points, and that is when I will kick you out. Don't let it happen. Anyone caught will be barred from taking the tests again. You will remain a genin indefinitely. Are there any questions?"

Surprisingly, Kairi raised her hand, and Shizune nodded for her to speak. "So if one of our team members loses, all three do?" she asked, seeking clarification.

Shizune nodded. "Yes, that's what I said."

Kairi looked a bit upset with that, but nodded. "Okay, thank you, sensei."

Shizune smiled at her. "Are you ready? Good. You may turn your papers over and begin; you have one hour."

Naruto turned his paper over with a frown. He'd been hoping it would be like Ibiki's test. But... all ten questions were written on the paper. Meaning that he couldn't just skate by without answering any of them like he had last time. _Dammit_.

Well, there was always plan B. Luckily for him, he'd actually thought to come _up_ with a plan B. Or rather, Sakura had informed him not to run into the tests with no plan at all. "_Like last time,"_ she'd said.

He heaved a sigh, idly jotting down his name and pretending to read over the questions.

Meanwhile, near the back, a man started writing, not noticing when a fly landed on his shoulder, peering over it at his test. After a moment, though, he noticed it and shoo'd the fly off. It buzzed away, and flew out a window, losing the interest of one of the nin watching the test-takers. Outside, the fly buzzed out of sight, and popped. Uzumaki Naruto - a clone - smirked, quickly created another clone, and dispelled.

Back inside, Naruto smirked and wrote down the first answer. He made a mental note to buy Sakura something later.

The test continued, with the test takers using every tactic in their arsenals to cheat, with quite a few caught and excused. Finally, with a little over half of the room excused, the timer went off, and they set down their pencils and turned their papers over.

Shizune cleared her throat for attention, gaze flicking over those who remained. "Congratulations for finishing the test. Those of you who remain are one step closer to becoming chunin. I do have a confession to make, however. As you have no doubt already noticed, this was less a test on your ability to answer questions on a paper, and more on your ability to gather information by any means possible. Those of you who remain proved to do this wonderfully. You pass."

There was a chorus of relieved groans and muted, tired cheers, as well as a smattering of applause. Once it quieted down again, she went on.

"Now, I am going to introduce you to your next proctor, who will explain the next test to you." She paused, but nothing happened. Her brow twitched. "Sai, find Kakashi, that was supposed to be his cue."

Naruto's head fell onto his desk in exasperation.

Two minutes later, there was a poof of smoke, which cleared quickly to reveal the missing Copy-Nin. "Yo!" he greeted cheerfully.

"You're late," Naruto pointed out from his desk, lifting his head to glower.

"Maah, sorry! There was this old lady trying to move her furniture, see, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't stop to help her?" Kakashi asked sweetly.

To Naruto's incredulity, some of the people around him actually looked _impressed_. Maybe they'd learn. "Riiiiggghhht."

"He was!" Sai insisted, resuming his seat. "She was giving him cookies!"

Kakashi pulled the cookies out of his pouch to show Naruto. Naruto, in all his genius, was probably the only one that noticed Sakura's name on the bag. The blond resolved to tell Sakura later that Kakashi had called her old.

Before the stupidity could get any worse, Shizune cleared her throat again, glaring at Kakashi. "This is the proctor for the second test, Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi? Explain."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Shizune-san." He turned his attention to the final test takers, brows lifting. "Quite a few we have here. Well, no matter, my test will weed them out nicely. Meet me tomorrow morning at 0700 hours, in front of the Forest of Death. For those of you who do not know its location, it'll be good practice. I will explain in further detail then." He bowed slightly. "Have a pleasant day. See you later!" He waved his hand - which was somehow no longer holding the cookies, though Naruto was sure he hadn't taken the time to put them away - and disappeared in another poof of smoke.

Naruto rolled his eyes and got up to congratulate his teammates (and reassure Kairi that no, Kakashi wasn't going to eat them).

xXx

The morning that they gathered for the second test was atypically dreary, with dark clouds on the horizon and a general mood of unease, likely due to Kakashi's ominous announcements the day before. Even still, Naruto found himself somewhat surprised to note that some of the teams that had passed before weren't present. Even half an hour after Kakashi told them to meet him.

"Goddammit, where is that idiot?" a familiar voice growled, and Naruto turned, perking at the sight before him.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing here?" he asked, quickly shifting into confusion.

She smiled at him, and cast his curious teammates the same smile. "I'm helping. You know, medical team, just in case."

A few hopefuls nearby, and thus in earshot, shifted uneasily at the statement. Naruto shrugged. "Well, I hope you don't have to work too hard. Still, compared to last time, well..."

She shrugged back at him, and turned her attention to his team. "You must be Kairi-chan and Taji-kun. It's nice to meet you both! I'm friends with Shino and Kiba." She bowed. "My name is Haruno Sakura."

Kairi smiled sweetly at her. "It's nice to meet you, Sakura-sempai!" she said in kind. "I'm Aburame Kairi."

Taji bowed back at Sakura. "Inuzuka Taji. Nice to meet you, Haruno-san."

Sakura beamed at them. "Take care of my Naruto, eh? He can be stupid sometimes."

Kairi pouted, but Taji nodded. "We know. We will."

"Ehh, Sakura-chan, that wasn't nice," Naruto said, pouting at her.

She patted his shoulder. "You'll live. Be careful, and good luck! I have to get back to Shizune-sempai and the others. I'll see you after, right? We'll go out for dinner, just us two."

"Ichiraku?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Sakura laughed. "Yeah. See ya!" She waved and went over to the other mednin.

Naruto cheered and turned to his teammates. "We'll win!"

Kairi giggled. "Yes, Naruto-sama!" she agreed eagerly.

A little while later, Kakashi finally arrived, and quickly ran through the explanation of the test. They would have to survive for five days, get the scrolls from the other teams, reach the tower, et cetera. "Mah, was that it...? Oh yeah! You'll also have to avoid the traps," he said, with the air of a naughty child. "I may have lain a few too many, so watch out!"

"You're insane," Naruto thought he heard someone whisper.

"Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment!" Kakashi chirped. "Alright, you have one hour before the-" He paused. "Er, fifteen minutes before the test. So, one more thing. Sakura-chan here will pass out some forms to you. These are waivers, saying that should you die during this test, it is neither my fault, nor Konohas. You are taking this test knowing full well how dangerous it is. Should you decide not to sign the waiver, your test ends now, and you will not become a Chunin."

There were startled looks cast toward him and each other, even as Sakura passed out the waivers. But no one refused them, and shortly they had been returned to Sakura, and everyone had received their scrolls. Kakashi smiled behind his mask and bid them to go to their specified gates.

Ten minutes after that, the gates were opened and the test had begun.

xXx

No one with the right scroll attacked them until about noon on the third day, but by the time they got there, Kairi had already sensed their approach with her kikai, and had warned the others. So when a team from Mizu attacked, the three had already set a trap, and watched boredly as their opponents walked right into it. Literally.

Naruto leaned over the hole, peering down into it. "Oh, ouch. You broke your leg!" he commented. "That must hurt."

"Bastard! Let us out!" one of the other nin growled.

"Um, no." Naruto smiled sheepishly. "What kind of scroll do you have?"

"Let us out and we'll _tell_ ya!"

"Or you'll tell me and then I'll think about letting you out," Naruto replied.

"Or we could just kill them and search the bodies," Taji pointed out, also peeking down into the hole. Their opponents paled, and he continued. "Fasu likes eating humans." He patted the puppy on his shoulder.

"Oooh, good idea!" Kairi chirped excitedly. "Oh, by the way, you see those bugs crawling all over your injured friend? They're eating his cha~kra," she sing-songed. "He's gonna die soon anyway, so why not just give us your scroll, ne?" She giggled. "You've already lost!"

The injured nin whimpered, but was in too much pain to panic over wiping away the bugs. His teammates exchanged a look, and gulped. "We'll give you the scroll, but you have to let us out!" the speaker insisted.

Naruto pretended to consider this, but then nodded. "Alright. Sounds fair, right guys?" His teammates nodded back at him. "Great! What kind of scroll is it?"

"E-earth," the Mizu nin said.

"Oh, look at that! Just what we need!" Kairi chirped sweetly. "Toss it up to us!"

The nin nodded, and threw his scroll up, watching in dismay as Taji caught it. Naruto pulled away and went in search of his rope, overhearing Kairi's sweet, "Toodles!"

"You promised!" the nin yelled, panicking.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Hold your horses!" he retorted, and glanced at Kairi. "Withdraw the kikai."

She beamed at him and nodded, holding out her hand. The swarm of kikai that had been in the hole returned.

Naruto tied the rope to a tree and tossed it over the edge of the hole. "Bye!" he said, and they quickly vacated the area.

xXx

They were attacked several more times between then and the last day, and almost lost their scrolls twice. But in the end, they strolled through the doors like they owned the place, solved the scroll, and were greeted with a familiar face.

Naruto grinned. "Iruka-sensei!" he cheered in unison with Kairi, while Taji gave a quieter greeting.

Iruka beamed at them. "This seems familiar, Naruto. Hello, Kairi, Taji. I'm glad all three of you have gotten so far! But I had faith in you, so I am not surprised."

Naruto grinned. "Kairi and Taji are great partners."

"And Naruto-sama is amazing!" Kairi chirped.

The Chunin teacher chuckled as Naruto laughed sheepishly. "I'm glad you have each other's trust. As Naruto-kun already knows, the final phase of the test is a series of one-on-one fights. The last time he was among us, we had to do preliminaries to cut down on the number of contestants. This year we do not, thanks to Kakashi-san's traps..."

"Yeah, one of those almost got me," Naruto said, embarrassed. "Thanks to Taji-kun, though, I was only stuck for an hour."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Naruto... Nevermind." He shook his head. "Anyway, please proceed through that door," he nodded toward the door to his left, "For further instruction on the final test."

He disappeared, and the three obeyed. When they entered, Naruto was a little disappointed to see that the only other Konoha team - out of the five other remaining teams - was Hyuuga Hanabi's. None of the other genin from Konoha were present.

They lined up as directed, before the watchful eye of the Hokage, and a few others. She glanced over the group, and hummed. "Congratulations, on passing the second test..."

Naruto kept glancing toward the other entrances as she explained the final test, hoping that someone else would come. Anyone. But finally, Tsunade dismissed them to return home, and the room slowly emptied.

"You look disappointed," Tsunade said, approaching. "Why?" She nodded for Kairi and Taji - who lingered - to go on.

Naruto frowned and turned to face his Hokage, shoving his dirty hands into his pockets. "I was hoping we'd have more than this. But just eighteen people? And only six of them from Konoha..." He sighed. "None from Mizu. The Mizukage will be upset."

"He'll get over it," Tsunade said. "You should go home and bathe. You smell like a pig."

"Gee, thanks, Tsunade-baabaa," he retorted sarcastically, and made a face. "I think I will. And _then_ I have dinner with Sakura-chan!" He stuck his tongue out at her, and vanished.

Tsunade quirked a grin at Shizune beside her. "He's learning."

Shizune beamed. "I'm relieved!"

The Hokage nodded, and her grin faded. "Time to go break the news."

xXx

Gaara sighed, shifting in his seat for probably the fifth time. He had one more nin that had yet to finish the last test, but he had to admit (though only to himself) that his interest was more invested in the next fight. Hyuuga Hanabi versus his best friend and general nuisance, Naruto. Granted, he should be more interested in his own nin, but this was Naruto, so he let the slip go. Naruto deserved his interest, at the very least.

Gaara was quite eager to see the fight. The last time Naruto had fought a Hyuuga, he had shown a very surprising array of traits, most notably the now infamous Uzumaki stubbornness (that had apparently been passed down, according to the Hokage).

"Naruto next," Kankuro muttered, from his place on Gaara's right, standing there looking bored. And trying not to notice the beaming kunoichi five feet away from him.

The Kazekage nodded. "Yeah," he murmured, watching Kurenai declare the fight begun. Naruto and Hyuuga were already tense, and the word 'fight' had not entirely passed the proctor's lips before the blond darted forward.

Kankuro leaned forward, taking a step closer to watch. "He gotten faster? Seems that wa- Holy crap! He disappeared! Gaara, did you know he- did he- wow!"

Casting a glance at his brother, the redhead snorted. His brother wasn't being very articulate. Still, the sudden movement from Naruto - to vanish and reappear behind the Hyuuga only to be blocked - was something of a surprise. Naruto had, apparently, picked up a few tricks since his stay in Suna.

And, according to the rise of noise from the stands, the gathered crowd found it just as fascinating as Kankuro and Gaara.

"AHG! PERVERT!" came an enraged scream from the arena, and Hyuuga promptly jyuuken'd Naruto across it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It was an accident!" Naruto yelled back, and flipped away from the furious girl. "I'm sorry! ACK!"

Gaara's face fell into his hands, even as he watched what _had_ been an impressive fight degrade into Naruto running away in terror from the pissed off woman he'd accidentally felt up. Though, his evasion techniques were very impressive.

The Kazekage peeked between his fingers and cringed as Hyuuga pummeled a clone. Then she went after the real Naruto, who was screaming at the top of his lungs that he surrendered, and someone needed to save him.

No one bothered.

xXx**  
**

**Poor Naruto. I am such a sadist. XDD Thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful, thoughtful reviews I've gotten! I really, really appreciate all the support, and I hope to continue to inspire such in you all. Please review again!**


	29. Chunin, Rabbits and Nukenin, Oh My!

**I Spy  
Chapter 28  
Chunin, Rabbits and Nukenin, Oh My!**

xXx****

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Chunin Tournament," Kurenai said, lifting Hanabi's hand. "Hyuuga Hanabi of Konoha! Runner up, Sansho Debi of Suna!"

There was an extended roar of approval from the crowds (and somehow, it seemed to be predominantly female). Naruto was grinning brightly (standing with Sansho between him and a still chagrined-looking Hyuuga), most likely because Konoha won. Again.

Once the din died down, the genjutsu specialist turned toward the Hokage, the Kazekage, and the Mizukage (the only three Kages actually present). She bowed to them, all three nodded back and stepped over to the line of tired but relieved exam takers. Tsunade bowed slightly to them all.

"Congratulations genin, for completing the Chunin Exams," she said. "After speaking with Mizukage-sama and Kazekage-sama, we have selected those ready to be advanced to the rank of Chunin." She paused to let that sink in, then continued. "From Sunagakure, Sansho Debi is thus advanced to the rank of Chunin, for exceptional skills in defense and strategy."

Gaara stepped forward, bowed and nodded to Sansho. "Congratulations, Sansho Debi-san." He accepted a scroll from Kankuro, and held it out for the newly appointed Chunin. "You are to complete this form and hand it in to Temari as soon as you have."

Sansho accepted the scroll and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama," he said breathlessly.

Gaara stepped back and nodded for Tsunade to continue. She cleared her throat. "Unfortunately, there are no test takers of Mizu being promoted this test." There was a brief, disappointed clamour from the small audience section of Mizu witnesses.

Tsunade turned and held her hand out, accepting a scroll from Kurenai. She turned to Hanabi. "From Konohagakure, Hyuuga Hanabi is thus advanced to the rank of Chunin, for exceptional skills in hand-to-hand combat, defense and leadership. Congratulations, Hyuuga Hanabi-san." She held out the scroll. "You are to complete this form and hand it into Shizune-san as soon as possible."

Hanabi accepted the scroll and bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." She was visibly biting back a smile.

Tsunade took another scroll from Kurenai, and stepped over to stand before Taji and his pup Fasu. "From Konohagakure, Inuzuka Taji is thus advanced to the rank of Chunin, for exceptional skills in co-ordinated attack, use of weaponry and quick thinking. Congratulations, Inuzuka Taji-san." She held out the scroll. "You are to complete this form and hand it in to Shizune-san as soon as possible."

Taji accepted it with a small smile, as Fasu yipped happily on his shoulder. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!" He bowed.

Tsunade gave him a brief smile, and walked over to stand in front of Naruto, who gave her a tiny, hopeful smile. There was a tense pause between the two, before Tsunade smiled back and turned, taking a final scroll from Kurenai. "From Konohagakure, Uzumaki Naruto is thus advanced to the rank of Chunin, for exceptional skills in hand-to-hand combat, use of ninjutsu, quick thinking and leadership. Congratulations, Uzumaki Naruto-san. You are to complete this form and hand it in to Shizune-san as soon as possible."

Naruto took the scroll and promptly jumped up with a loud, enthusiastic cheer. "HELL YEAAAAH!"

Gaara resisted the urge to groan aloud. Naruto had _no_ sense of decorum at all.

And up in the stands, there was a sudden, loud, echoing cheer to the blonds. "GO NARUTO! CHA!" yelled his former female teammate.

That clinched it. There would be no calming the boy down until tomorrow.

xXx

"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!" chanted the gathered party crowd, as Naruto guzzled a huge jug of very potent, Suna-brewed alcohol, courtesy of Kankuro.

Sakura laughed as she watched his expression, slightly tipsy herself. The rest of the day had passed pretty quickly once the Chunin Exams were over, and now they had gathered in a bar to celebrate with alcohol, special ordered ramen and many drunken exploits. Kiba, for example, had stolen Ino away from the Kazekage (whom she'd been speaking with) to dance in the most suggestive manner Sakura had ever witnessed. And of course there was Naruto's drinking.

The kunoichi hadn't really thought he was the 'drink until you throw up' type, but Kankuro - in all his play-boy wisdom - had somehow convinced the blond that this would greatly impress his pretty date. And of course Naruto had eaten that up with all the grace of a drowning elephant.

Hinata looked like she wasn't sure if it was entirely wise to _be_ impressed, as Naruto got more smashed with each passing minute. And down went the empty jug. Up went Hinata, plucked from the floor by her drunk date, who promptly kissed her breathless. Sakura thought she saw Tenten put Neji in a headlock.

Sakura was then distracted by the smooth slide of arms around her waist, and a chin rested atop her head. "He's acting like an idiot," her boyfriend drawled.

She snorted. "What else is new?" she asked, leaning back into his warmth. _Mmm, he feels nice_, Inner Sakura purred.

"Well, more of an idiot than usual," Itachi corrected. He paused as her fingers slid up and down his arm. "Have you been drinking as well?"

"Just sake, and only a few cups," she said. _I think_.

"Mm," was the noncommittal reply.

"Where were you?" Sakura asked suddenly, turning in his arms to wrap hers around his neck.

He gave her a brief kiss on the forehead, not really one for public displays of affection. "Observing obligations," he replied vaguely, and quickly redirected her attention. "Are you _sure_ that was sake?"

She blinked at him. "Yes... why?" she asked, and blinked some more.

"Because your breath smells like honey," he replied bluntly.

She turned her head to look at the bar, where she had placed her drink. She frowned and leaned over, vision a bit fuzzy. "Hey, that's not a sake jug... Hey, hey, bartender!"

The man came over, brows quirking. "Yes, Haruno-san? What did you need?"

She pointed almost accusingly at the unadorned brown gourd sitting with her glass. "What is that? And when did you give me that?"

He shook his head. "The Suna jonin brought it to you half an hour ago, ma'am, remember? He told you to try it and you apparently liked it."

Sakura gasped, jerking away from Itachi to go yell at Kankuro. "That sneaky little- woah," she gasped as she swayed.

Itachi quickly caught her and nodded his thanks to the bartender, who wandered off. "That answers that. You _are_ aware that Sunagakure is known for its brew, aren't you?"

She blinked fuzzily, and looked at him, then grinned. "Have I _ever_ told you how sexy you are?"

Both black brows lifted at the announcement. "We're going home."

She shook her head and tugged away again (Itachi held onto her bicep firmly), stumbling to the bar. "Don't forget the Lily! He gave it to me!"

"Now you remember," Itachi muttered, mostly to himself. "Sakura-"

"We are not leaving the Lily, we are _bringing_ the _fucking Lily_, Uchiha Itachi, got it?" she growled, searching clumsily for the cork for the gourd.

He sighed. "Alright. I'll have it brought home."

"Saaakurraaa-chaaaaaaaaannnnn," a familiar voice yelled, as Naruto and a redfaced Hinata stumbled over. "Ohhh, Itachi! Hi, Itachi! What are you doing to Sakura-chan, Itachi?" Pause. "And why are you a weasel?"

Itachi's eye twitched. Drunken stupidity. Oh _joy_. "I'm bringing Sakura home. She's drunk."

"Not as drunk as Naruto," Sakura snickered, squinting at her friend. "Hey Naruto, you have a very, very red complexicon- complex- complet... That word that means your face."

Naruto burst out laughing. "Wouldn't it've been easier to say my face?" he snickered.

"Shut up," she retorted. "You're going to get alcohol poisoning, Naruto. That stuff is _strooonngg_ and you drank a lot of it. I was watching!"

"Yeaah, that was fun. Hey, Hinata, we should do it again!" Naruto chirped, and promptly pulled her into another kiss.

She grimaced, returned it briefly and gently pushed him away. "I think home sounds nice," she muttered. "Time to get you home Naruto-kun."

"You'll stay with me?" Naruto was asking, as Itachi expertly pulled the distracted Sakura away.

"I'll think about it..."

And their whispered conversation was drown out in the noise of the bar. Itachi nudged the door open with a foot, and lead Sakura out into the cool air. She walked mechanically, apparently having forgotten about the Suna alcohol (for which Itachi was glad).

Thankfully, he managed to get her to the edge of the Uchiha complex before she slumped, but since he was waiting for it, it was a simple matter to shift his weight, crouch and lift her up into both arms. She giggled and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "You're so nice, Itachiii," she said sweetly. "I like how nice you are."

He quirked a brow. "I'm glad you approve of my personality," he replied blandly.

"I approve of your face, too," she told him as they walked down the street toward their shared home. "And... your..." She paused, searching for a word, and he climbed the steps. "Your mouth. Ha!" She kissed him on the lips. "I like your mouth, Itachi. It is nice. And feels nice."

"You are very drunk." He set her down on her feet, and quickly unlocked (and released the wards on) the door. She stumbled along with him, dragging the door closed behind him, and veered off toward the kitchen. He followed with a small, amused smirk. "Would you like some coffee?"

"I would like some sugar," she said, turning around and propping herself up on the edge of the kitchen table. "And by sugar, I mean kisses. Because your mouth is nice."

"Perhaps we should wait until you are more... sober," he suggested mildly, taking her hand and tugging her gently off the table. "How about a shower. Take a shower, and I will make some coffee."

She dug her heels into the floor with surprising force. "Itachi. Kiss. Now," she demanded.

"Look, it's a rabbit," he replied, pointing, and she whipped around to look. Having successfully diverted her attention, he merely followed her down the hall. "I think it went into the bathroom."

"I must find the rabbit," she replied, and stumbled toward the bathroom. She jerked open the door, looked in and pouted. "There isn't a rabbit, Itachi. It's not there."

He managed to look innocent under her suspicious glower. "Perhaps it was a sign that you should take a shower."

She poked his chest. "I'm not _stupid_. I'm drunk. There's a difference!"

"If you promise to take a shower, I will give you a kiss," he replied.

Sakura paused to think this over, which took a moment. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. And one _after_ the shower."

"As you wish," he said, and tugged her into a gentle kiss, just a chaste press of the lips.

Unfortunately, Sakura was just drunk enough to forget to hesitate, and deepened the kiss with a messy swipe of tongue. And really, when she was being so insistent, he couldn't deny her. Not ever.

Sakura growled into his mouth and dragged him closer, stumbling back into the door frame. He quickly regained his balance with a hand to the wall and the other on her shoulder. Her free hand slid up his side and under his shirt, nails dragging against hard muscle, the sensation making him shiver as her tongue explored his mouth and vice versa.

Finally, though, he forced himself back with a reluctant sigh, grabbed her shoulders and turned her into the bathroom. "Shower. Then coffee. Then we can continue."

She giggled. "Okay."

xXx

Sakura woke to blinding sunlight in her face, and a blonde chattering as she went through drawers. "Really, Sakura, this isn't even your room, but half his drawers are full of your clothes," Ino chided.

"You should see my drawers," the pink haired kunoichi said automatically.

Ino tossed a smirk her way. "I can. Nice color."

Sakura flipped her the bird and pulled the blanket over her waist. She tried to remember the night before, but most of it was a blur. She did remember Naruto drinking too much, and Hinata laughing. Tenten putting Neji in a headlock. Ino dancing with Kiba. What after that? Itachi telling her that she was drunk...

Ooh, and sex on the kitchen table. She grinned and covered her face with the pillow. "Where'd he go?" she asked, voice muffled.

"Dunno. Wasn't here when I got here. He's probably training," Ino babbled. "Ah! Shorts, tank top. Get dressed, nudist!"

Something light landed on her blanket covered stomach, and Sakura peeked beyond the pillow to see a pair of green shorts and a white tanktop, with a pink bra. "Okay... Go wait in the kitchen. Don't use the table."

Ino gave her a startled look. "I think I'll go sit on the sofa," she said, paling.

Sakura snickered, and sat up as the door shut behind her friend. She quickly dressed and joined Ino in the living room, stopping to grab a cup of coffee. "You make the coffee?"

"Nope, it beeped when I was coming in the door. He makes good coffee, though," Ino replied, lifting her mug pointedly. "Hope you don't mind."

"Eh," was the only response, as Sakura sat on the other half of the couch. "Mmmm, where have the days gone." She sipped her coffee.

"Into the past," Ino replied, grinning. "We're doing tea later today. Temari's joining us, since they aren't leaving 'till tomorrow. You coming?"

Sakura paused to think over her schedule. She had night shift at the hospital. "Yeah, sure. What time?"

"Four," Ino replied.

Sakura nodded, her mind already wandering. Mention of Temari reminded her of a rumor she'd heard. "So what's this I hear about you flirting with a certain redheaded kage?"

Ino blushed. "Er..."

"I thought you were dating Kiba," Sakura said, brows lifting. "And then Temari says you're being all flirty with her brother, and complains to _me_ about it, because apparently she thinks it's gross." She glared at the blonde. "So _why_ did I have to hear about this from a third party? You nag and nag and nag 'till I spill Itachi-related details. The least you could do is return the favor. So spill."

"Sorrryyy," Ino whined. "I just... you know... I mean, I didn't even..." She sighed. "It was habit."

"Habit," Sakura deadpanned.

Ino winced. "I don't know what I'm doing! I mean, you're right. I've been dating Kiba. But he was being an ass, and I broke up with him, and then I was just... flirting at Gaara... er, 'sama'." She huffed, then turned to give Sakura a wide-eyed look. "And he flirted back!"

"No way," Sakura gasped, eyes widening.

Ino nodded. "Mmmhmm. I was being stupid and made a joke about him needing help in his suite, and he said he'd think of me first!" she hissed. "I was so shocked that I just... you know..."

"Did the ditzy blonde thing and continued flirting?" Sakura guessed, getting a nod. "Wow." She set aside her coffee and drew her knees up, turning to more fully face her best friend. "So then what happened?"

"Well, it was during the last exam, and one of his genin came up, so we got distracted," Ino admitted. "And then he gave me the cold shoulder after that, so I'm not even sure if I'm just imagining things, or... or whatever. I don't know." She shook her head.

Sakura considered it. "Well, he doesn't really have a lot of social experience," she pointed out carefully. "I mean, according to Temari, he hasn't really dated before. So... I mean, it _could_ be that he likes you, and just doesn't know what to do with it."

Ino barked out a laugh. "Yeah right! Why would the Kazekage of Suna bother liking a second class Konoha mednin?"

"If you ever call yourself second class again, I will beat the shit out of you," Sakura snarled.

The blonde jerked at that, having the grace to blush. "Sorry, Forehead." She drew a breath and shook her head. "I think I'm just gonna drop it. I mean, we live in different villages, and anyway, me and Kiba are back together, so..."

Sakura nodded. "Alright... Just make sure you get what you want, alright? I don't wanna see you getting hurt. I _still_ don't think Kiba's any good for you."

Ino smiled at her. "I know, Sakura. But... I love him. What can I say?"

The rosette had nothing to say to that, so she picked her coffee back up and changed the subject.

xXx

"Welcome to Tensa Inn, nin-san! May I get you a room?" the pretty innkeeper chirped.

Kisame nodded, his sword sealed into a scroll, and his coloring and build disguised with a henge. He looked like a slightly shorter, dark-skinned man with black eyes and hair to her, which suited him just fine. Wasn't like he didn't have the chakra reserves. "Yes, thank you," he said gruffly.

She beamed at him and lead him down a hall. "Is there anything you would like to eat?"

"Just dango," he said, and watched her walk off. Then he turned to the door and opened it. Predictably, a short redheaded boy sat on the only bed, watching the door without blinking. Kisame grunted in a lazy attempt at greeting, and shut the door. "Hey, Karasu."

"Hello, Kisame-san," Karasu replied. "You wanted to meet?"

"Yeah. About my cousin's wedding," Kisame replied.

Karasu ducked his head in acknowledgement of the signal, and quickly performed a genjutsu to disguise their words. Now all anyone would hear from the room were plans to use Karasu as a ring bearer. The room would appear dark from the outside.

Karasu dropped his henge, and stood to offer Kisame the bed. "What news is it?" he asked.

Kisame flopped down on the bed, making a face. "Apparently, Deidara's still alive," he said.

Itachi frowned at him. "Is that so?" He sighed. He should have known.

Kisame nodded. "Yeah. There's also a small group of nukenin taking refuge in the caves of Shadow Country. They're trying to assemble a copy-cat group like Akatsuki. They might prove to be a problem for Konoha, but I doubt they'll get as far."

The Konoha shinobi nodded back, turning when there was a knock on the door. He stepped back to stand behind it, as Kisame went to get his dango. Once the woman was gone, the shark nin offered some to Itachi, who took it without argument. Heh. Addict.

"How are your living arrangements?" Itachi asked after a moment.

The mist nin shrugged, returning to his boneless state on the bed. "Adequate. I've been wandering around, mostly. Don't really feel like staying anywhere. Anyway, even if I did, Akatsuki would eventually find me and I'd have to leave again. Better to stay on my feet."

"I see." Itachi nibbled on his treat thoughtfully, leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry."

Kisame sat up straight, doing a double take at the Uchiha. "What?" he snapped.

Both brows lifting, the other man shrugged. "It's my fault you're hunted. I regret it. So I apologize."

"Bit late for that, isn't it?" Kisame demanded suspiciously.

"Mm," Itachi replied noncommittally.

After a moment, Kisame figured out that he wasn't going to get anything else on the subject out of Itachi, so he finished his dango in silence and flopped back down again. "How's the girl?"

His companion set aside the dango stick and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Happy, I believe. At least, I try to make it so."

"And the gaki?"

"A Chunin, finally."

"Heh. Good."

Itachi's lips quirked. "Your concern would touch him."

Kisame laughed dryly. "Bullshit. I freak that kid out."

"I believe his words were 'that creepy, overgrown tuna fish'."

They lapsed into silence, before Kisame sat up to take off his boots. "And the other?"

Itachi didn't answer immediately, drawing his partner's gaze. He was staring out the window pensively, his amusement a thing of the past. "His sentence is life. He still hates me."

Kisame finished his task and sat up again. "Least he's safe," he said, but knew that it was a hollow comfort to Itachi. Best as he could fathom, Itachi was no longer sure what to think of his brother. He felt responsible for the way the boy had developed, but at the same time, he could not forgive him for his attempts on Sakura's life.

"She still wakes with nightmares," Itachi murmured quietly. "Sometimes she wakes screaming. Others, I don't find out until morning, and she's asleep on the couch with her team picture."

Kisame didn't really know what to say to that. What could he say? 'I'm sorry' would be awkward. 'She'll get over it' was cruel. 'She'll forget' was a lie. So he said nothing.

A few minutes passed by, and Itachi finally straightened and performed his henge. "I'll be going. The room is paid for."

His partner nodded. "Itachi..." The Uchiha didn't move, but he also didn't look at him. Kisame sighed. "Tell her I said hey."

"I will." He vanished in a poof of smoke.

Kisame sighed and tried to get some sleep.

xXx

**Wrapping things up. The next chapter will be the last, and will skip forward about a year. Technically, it's an epilogue. Thanks again to Azhwi for helping me out, bouncing ideas back and forth with me and in general keeping me company while I write.**

**Anyway, please review!**


	30. What's in a Kiss?

**I Spy  
Chapter 29  
What's in a Kiss?  
A/N: This, ladies and gentlemen, is the last chapter. However, I am currently plotting the sequel out with my wonderful beta. I haven't the foggiest when it'll be finished, and I won't be posting it until it is, though. Still, enjoy and review!**

xXx

_Nine months later..._

The day, when it dawned, was bright, sunny and already going. People rushed about in the Hokage tower, making preparations for the upcoming ceremony, finishing up reports, pouring out the Hokage's stash of sake so she wasn't smashed by noon...

"No, Shizune- noooo!" Tsunade cried, rushing into the room just as the last drop fell. "Noooooo!"

Naruto followed her into the room more slowly, smirking. "Sorry, Tsunade-baabaa. I need you respectable."

"You traitor!" Tsunade roared. "I disown you! You are not allowed to be Hokage!"

"Too late." Naruto winked at Shizune and interlaced his fingers behind his head, grinning. "Aww, don't gimme that look, Tsunade-baabaa. I'll buy you more afterward. Promise!"

Tsunade stalked up to her heir and poked him in the chest, prompting him to take a step back and rub the offended spot. "You'd better, brat, or you and me are gonna have an issue!"

"Alright, disaster averted. Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama, we need you _both_ to be dressed. Five minutes ago!" Shizune insisted.

"Hey," Tsunade protested. "I'm still Hokage!"

"Officially. We both know who has _actually_ been doing the work for the last nine months. And now that Naruto-sama is a jonin, he can officially be named Hokage!" Shizune scolded.

Naruto beamed at her. "I'll go get dressed," he chirped, and started to turn.

"No, you'll _be_ dressed," Shizune snapped, grabbing him before he could escape. "Honestly. Kakashi-san, where did you go!"

Kakashi poked his head through the door. "I'm still here. Just waiting to make sure Tsunade-sama is... er, not killing people," he said, eying the blonde woman carefully.

Tsunade made a face at him. "This day is going to fall into disaster, mark my words!"

"Please say that's a bet," Naruto said glibly.

Tsunade's response was a noogie to his head, with much yelling and flailing of limbs. He finally managed to escape, and Shizune redirected her attention, while Kakashi grabbed his former student and dragged him out of the room.

"Naruto, you remember your speech?" Kakashi asked, pulling him into a nearby office and kicking out its occupant.

"Yes," Naruto agreed, nodding. He stopped, and shook his head. "Well, most of it. Eh, the important parts, at least..." He grimaced, and gave his former _sensei_ a pleading, puppyish look. "I'll have cue cards, right?"

Kakashi groaned. "You'll doom us all," he accused.

"Nuh-uh! I remember important stuff! But a speech is boring! Can't I just-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

Naruto scowled.

xXx

Tsunade looked up as the door opened. "Oh thank god. Sakura, tell her I don't need to wear these stupid formal robes!" she barked.

"Shisho, you have to wear the stupid formal robes," Sakura replied bluntly.

"But they're so uncomfortable," the blonde complained, as Shizune shifted her obi. "Why can't I just wear my normal stuff? I do the rest of the time."

Sakura gave her teacher a flat look. "I think I just heard a similar argument in the other room, Shisho. Careful. You're starting to sound like Naruto."

"Or _maybe_ he's starting to sound like me," Tsunade retorted, and flinched. "Ouch! That's too tight! Uhg, I can't breathe!"

"Maybe then you won't talk," Shizune muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Tsunade gave her assistant a suspicious glower, but shortly subsided and gave into the fitting. If it wasn't for the fact that this meant she could stop being so responsible, she might put up more of a fight. But she was very eager to go visit an onsen. It had been a while. And maybe visit a gambling house while she was at it. Yes, that would be very nice...

"Stop plotting bankruptcy and turn around," Shizune ordered.

Tsunade gave her a wide-eyed look faintly reminiscent of her heir. Sakura snickered, and Shizune suppressed a smile. "How did you-"

"You had your 'I want to bet my soul away' look on your face," Shizune explained, gaze sweeping over her. "Mm. Alright, time for the haori."

The blonde Hokage didn't bother to ask how Shizune had seen her expression from behind her - ninja - and just turned around to let her assistant help her into the slightly weighty haori. Sakura beamed. "See? You don't look so bad! In fact, this is the most impressive I've ever seen you, Shisho."

Tsunade glared at her, but the only response she actually got was a grin. Innocent and full of sugar, with this little edge that said Sakura wasn't intimidated in the least. The Hokage grumbled about stupid Uchihas. Inner Sakura did a victory dance.

"Sakura, you should get going," Shizune said, mouth half-full of what appeared to be ribbons. "I need you to go make sure everyone else is ready. And find Itachi-kohai! He's been avoiding me, and I need him to know that Naruto-sama requested he be the bearer!"

"Oh, _now_ you tell me!" Sakura shrieked. "With barely an hour- oh gods, I need to get Itachi _dressed_!" She took off.

Tsunade twisted around, trying to see what Shizune was doing with her hair. "What are you doing? And did he really say that?"

Shizune rolled her eyes and swatted Tsunade's shoulder. "Of course! Why would I say that if he didn't? Turn around, you're messing me up!"

Tsunade obeyed. "But what are you doing?"

xXx

Naruto sneezed. And then sneezed. And sneezed again. "Holy crap," he groaned, rubbing his nose. "What the hell?"

"Oh, just gossip," Kakashi said, wistfully. "Turn around."

Naruto shook his head and turned to face the older male. "Gossip? You think so?" He paused, then, "And why do you sound envious?"

"Yep!" Kakashi gave him a one-eyed smile and ignored the last question. He quickly tied the stylized obi - white, with fire curling along the ends - twitching the knot so that it rested exactly six inches to the left of Naruto's navel. "Remember. After this, whenever you wear these robes, the knot must be either six inches to the right or dead center."

"That's dumb," the blond replied flatly.

"That's tradition. Shut your mouth," Kakashi retorted, and tugged on the obi. Naruto stumbled, yelled and nearly fell on his butt. And he would have if not for Kakashi's grip on his obi. "There. All finished."

His gaze swept over the traditional garb- umanori hakama in black, an under kimono in the traditional white, an over kimono in pale orange (Naruto's choice), decorated with fire along the hem and a fox prowling on the back, and finally the coat-like white haori of the Hokage's station. On his feet were pristine white tabi, and a pair of wooden geta sat off to the side, also ready to be worn. The Copy-Nin nodded, satisfied with his work.

"You wear it well, Naruto," he said. He nodded to the mirror. "Turn. Look."

Naruto gulped and turned slowly, peering at himself in the mirror. He looked a little faint. "This is... I... I'm really doing this, sensei," he murmured. "I'm really, finally becoming Hokage..."

Kakashi stepped up behind him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You are. You'll do us proud, Naruto."

The blond met his teacher's gaze in the mirror. "I thought I was going to doom you all," he replied wanly.

The Copy-Nin beamed at him. "You won't. I was lying. Ohh, look at the time~ We should get going. We'll stop by Shizune and ask her about those cue cards."

"Can't I just wing it?"

"No."

xXx

"Oh! Itachi-kohai!" Shizune yelped. They were on their way to the Chunin arena, where they would hold Naruto's 'coronation' ceremony. In fact, they were nearly there when they ran into Itachi.

"I'm not doing it," Itachi said, face stony and voice flat.

Tsunade scowled at him. "Stage fright?" she teased, without a single hint of mirth.

"No. It's a bad decision. They do not like me, they do not accept me. For Naruto to acknowledge me in that manner is tantamount to an invitation for rebellion-" Itachi said quickly, and stopped when the Sannin approaching behind him put a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"He trying to run away?" Jiraiya asked, grinning. "Not a chance, Uchiha! You gotta be here. What's he doing?"

"Bearer," Tsunade grunted. "And you're right, he is not escaping. I can't, he can't."

"Hokage-sama," Itachi said, clamping down on the surge of panic twisting his insides. "I can_not_-"

"You. Have. To," Tsunade growled.

Shizune cleared her throat, diverting his attention, and gave him a smile. "Itachi-kohai, Naruto-sama is doing this for exactly the_ right_ reasons. He says that by accepting you as his bearer - a place of the highest trust and honor - he wishes to help you become more accepted within the village. If people see that Naruto, whom they love and will follow, trusts you... well, then why shouldn't they?"

"It's _flawed_," Itachi insisted. "It won't work. It will just create a _riot_-"

"Weeellll, then you can help us break it up!" Tsunade said with an overly sweet smile. Oh she loved days like this, when she got to see such strong, powerful men like Uchiha Itachi... trying to run and hide like little boys. Heh, life was good.

Jiraiya patted his shoulder. "Hey, it's just in and stand, Uchiha-kun. You're bringing Naruto a scroll, that's it. Right?"

"It's _more_ than a scroll," Itachi growled. "It's _the_ scroll. It's the contract between a Hokage and the _land_, the _village_, and its _people_. No one will like that _I _will be carrying it to Naruto-kun." He paused. Corrected himself. "'Sama'."

"Tough luck," Jiraiya replied, and threw a comradely arm around the Uchiha's shoulders. Mostly to prevent continued attempts at escape. "C'mon, let's get you in uniform."

"I-"

"That wasn't a question."

"... very well."

Shizune shook her head as she watched the two walk off. "They seem rather chummy," she mused.

"Oh, Jiraiya accepted any verbal or written reports from him when he was in Akatsuki," Tsunade replied dismissively, as they continued on their way. "They've known each other for many years."

"Oh."

xXx

It seemed the whole village had packed together in that stadium. Some were even sitting on stairs, or walkways, or standing against the railings, and even spilling _out_ of the stadium, trying to see down below where a few figures had gathered. None of them were blond.

However, the crowd started to quiet as a familiar figure walked towards the others. Shizune sighed and gave Sakura, Kakashi and Sai a wave, even as she stopped before them. "Sai-kun, the guard-"

"The guard is up, Shizune-sama," Sai replied with his trademark empty smile.

She relaxed fractionally. "Wonderful."

"Do you have them?" Sakura asked anxiously. She was interrupted by a raven swooping down to land on her shoulder. She blinked. "Itachi?" The raven just nipped fondly at her hair, so she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You'd better be ready."

Shizune eyed the bird in bemusement, then shook her head and cleared her throat. "Yes. They're right here. Are we absolutely ready?"

"One hundred percent. They are both dressed and waiting," Kakashi said. "Better get started."

Shizune drew a breath and nodded. Sai vanished, to go see to security, as they were former root operatives mostly. Sakura and Kakashi stepped back, each accepting a scroll from Shizune.

The older woman turned, and began to tell the village the history of their kages.

xXx

"I gotta peeeee," Naruto whined.

"It's almost time, gaki, you can_not _move from that spot!" Tsunade hissed, watching her heir dance the potty dance over the summoning seal.

"But I gotta gooo!" the other blond complained. "That's it, I'm gonna go, I'll be back in time!" he promised, patted Tsunade's shoulder and took off for the bathroom.

Tsunade growled. "Gaki!" she yelled, to no effect.

And then she felt the telltale tug of summoning, and her world twisted like a kaleidoscope. In the next instant, she stood in the arena, a cloud of smoke quickly clearing. Sakura drew in a sharp breath. "Shisho!" she hissed. "Where is that idiot!"

"Pissing," Tsunade growled irately.

"I'm going to _murder_ him!" Sakura replied furiously, straightening from her crouch over Tsunade's summoning scroll.

Beside her, Kakashi sighed, also slowly standing. "Oh, this isn't good. Now what?"

But as if to answer his question, Naruto appeared right behind Tsunade, looking panicked. "Sorry, sorry, I'm late, sorry!" he yelled, pale. "I really had to _go_!"

Shizune glowered him into silence. "Place. Now," she growled.

He laughed, though it somehow sounded like some sort of sob-whimper mixture, and quickly took his place. The black-haired medic drew a breath to calm herself, and faced the crowd. "Our esteemed fifth Hokage!" she said, and waited out the cheer of approval. "And, Konoha, our sixth!"

The roar was deafening, and Naruto just stood there looking stunned, until Kakashi pinched him. He jumped, but then quickly waved back at the masses, prompting the screaming to rise in volume, impossibly. Someone, somewhere, must have been using a jutsu.

Naruto grinned infectiously, waving in earnest now as the nin surrounding him fought the urge to echo his happy expression. Finally, though, he lowered his arm and beamed at Shizune, nodding for her to continue.

She flashed him a smile and waited out the uproar, then spoke once more, this time to Naruto. She rattled on for nearly ten minutes about the virtues of Hokage-hood, the honor, prestige and responsibility that came with the position. She lectured Naruto about protecting the village, and being a fair leader.

And as she drew to a stop, the raven took off from Sakura's shoulder and fluttered over to stand on the ground beside Naruto. Then, there was a pop of smoke, an escaping flock of still more ravens, and Uchiha Itachi stood in the raven's place. The raven - a summon - fluttered over to land on his shoulder, and he gave it a piece of bread before sending it off. It took the now empty summoning seal on it's ankle with it.

The crowd grew uncertainly quiet, but Naruto turned to Itachi and beamed. "I'd hug you," he said under his breath, "But Sakura-chan might kill me."

"Good idea," Itachi replied, almost nervously. "Not hugging me, that is." He held up a scroll, balancing it in both hands.

Shizune stepped over to them. "This is the Hokage scroll. It is a binding contract that will connect you to the land of Hi no Kuni, to the people of the land, and to this village. With this, your life is pledged in service to Hi no Kuni. Do you still accept this responsibility, Uzumaki Naruto."

The blond didn't even hesitate. "I do."

"Then take the scroll."

Naruto obeyed, taking the scroll. "Thank you, Itachi-san," he said, smiling at the Uchiha. Itachi just nodded at him, and he turned toward Tsunade. "Godaime Hokage-sama, to become the leader of this village, I must have your consent, and release from the contract."

Tsunade nodded solemnly. "Then I freely give my consent, and will release."

Naruto flicked the scroll open, and let Kakashi and Sakura take either side, walking around them to stand beside Tsunade. She bit her thumb, drawing blood, and flickered through five seals, then placed her palm on the circle in the dead center of the scroll. The scroll seemed to glow faintly, and the blood soaked into it, vanishing. Tsunade put her hands into another seal. "Kai!"

The scroll went blank, and she stepped back. "I have released myself from the contract."

Her heir gulped, nodded and stepped up to the scroll. He paused, gaze flickering over those assembled, watching with bated breath. And then, without any doubts about this choice, he bit his thumb and performed the seals. The writing appeared on the scroll again, and he pressed his palm to the circle. The blood vanished, and Naruto wrote his name off to the left, beside Tsunade's own. He stepped back, watching Kakashi roll up the scroll, and smiled.

"Konoha, your Hokage!" Shizune called, to the approval of the masses.

"Speech time," Kakashi hissed, teasingly.

"Oh crap, I forgot the cue cards," Naruto yelped.

xXx

As soon as they were able, the group escaped into the Hokage tower, but by then, it was nearly dark. Many people had stopped Naruto to congratulate him and offer their loyalty. Girls had excitedly asked for hugs, men had patted him on the back or shook his hand. Children cheered in his wake. One little girl, barely older than five, had even brought him a flower, which he accepted with sincere happiness.

Finally, though, they reached his office, and he flopped down into the chair with a groan. Tsunade smirked at him. "You haven't eaten since breakfast, boy, better fix that."

"Is there room service?" he asked. "I think I might be mobbed if I go out."

Sakura laughed and threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him happily. "Congratulations, you big idiot."

He grinned sheepishly at her, then sat up straight. "Hinata!"

"Oh, you haven't seen her today either," Kakashi said thoughtfully.

"No, I mean- er, hi, Hinata!" Naruto said, turning bright red.

Hinata, standing in the doorway with a bento in her hands, smiled at him shyly. "Hello, Hokage-sama," she said sweetly.

Sakura watched her best friend practically melt in his seat, and grinned at her own boyfriend. "We'll just leave you be. Shisho, c'mon, alcohol on me."

"Coming," Tsunade said, and hastened to follow. She grabbed Shizune on her way out, and they vanished.

Kakashi smiled at his student. "If you need anything, you just call the staff. I'll see you around, Hokage-sama."

Naruto nodded, barely paying him any attention, and got up as the Copy-Nin vanished in a poof of smoke. "Hey, Hinata-chan..."

"I brought you something to eat," she replied shyly.

xXx

Eventually, Sakura and Itachi managed to escape (leaving the bill to Kakashi, who would probably get revenge later). She happily tugged him down the roads with her, heading toward home. "Today was amazing," she said, beaming.

Itachi gave her a tiny smile. "You think so?" he asked.

"Yes! And there weren't _any_ riots because you gave Naruto the scroll," she added, almost smugly.

"That we know of," he replied, mulishly.

She snorted and stopped, pulling him close so she could wrap her arms around his neck. She fell silent for a bit, head resting on his chest as he held her to him. "Itachi? I have a confession to make," she said softly.

"Marry me."

Silence. Sakura took a step back, staring at him in shock. He met her gaze without flinching, and she realized that he had had every intention of saying that. How long had he been planning this? "I..." She closed her mouth, gulped and shook her head. "No."

He watched her turn around and start off, and he followed. "Why not?"

"It's too soon," she replied.

"We've been dating for almost a year," he pointed out. "Sakura, I care for you. I want you to be my wife."

"I'm sorry, Itachi," she said.

"Please."

She stopped, and turned toward him, searching his face. Her stomach clenched, butterflies fluttering strangely. "That's the wrong-" She closed her mouth and shook her head. "No."

Itachi eyed her, resisting the urge to swallow. Finally, he stepped forward, cupping either side of her jaw and nudging it up. He pressed his mouth to hers sweetly, kissing her slow, and the butterflies in her stomach melted one wing at a time. When they parted for breath, he pressed his forehead to hers and gave her that tiny smile. "Marry me, Sakura, please."

She slumped against him, his message loud and clear, even if he hadn't actually said the words. "I love you too," she replied softly. "Okay."

His smile grew a little more, and the next kiss wasn't nearly as chaste.

~_Owari_


End file.
